Community Work Day Program will partner with the Office of the Mayor and the Maalaea Community Association on December 3, 2011  8am
Meet under volunteer sign in tents at the Maui Ocean Center parking lot (nearest to the Carls Jr side)

for an important litter pickup that will prevent hundreds of pounds of trash from entering the ocean.  “All drains lead to the ocean,” commented CWD Executive Director Rhiannon Chandler.  “In this case it is easy to see how what we do on land impacts our ocean.”  The mile-long drainage channel is filled with litter – both wind blown trash and items that appear to have been intentionally dumped.

The cleanup will focus on the drainage ditch that runs parallel to the Honoapiilani Highway before heading south toward the ocean. The drain crosses under a newly replaced culvert on Hauoli Street and ends at the beach in Maalaea. “Its a race against the first winter storm,” commented Maalaea Community Association President Pam Daoust.  The first storm event of 2010 found Maalaea residents trapped in their condos with mud and trash covering Hauoli Street, adjacent parking lots, and first floor condo units.

“We recently learned from Maalaea Community Association about the severity of this situation and the need for immediate action,” commented Rob Parsons, Environmental Coordinator in the Office of the Mayor. “We are greatly encouraged that our partners at Community Work Day were able to schedule this cleanup day on extremely short notice. We invite members of the public to join us to help keep our island, and our ocean clean.”   

Organizers are hoping for over 100 volunteers to pitch in on this cleanup day.  Community Work Day Program will provide all cleanup supplies including bags, gloves, litter grabbers, and water for volunteers.  The most experienced volunteers and staff will remove some of the invasive plants and *koa haole *trees that are currently accumulating trash in the  mile-long ditch.     

Volunteers are asked to meet under volunteer sign in tents at the Maui Ocean Center parking lot (nearest to the Carls Jr side) on Saturday December 3, 2011 at 8am.  The cleanup will take place from 8am-11am. All volunteers that participate in this cleanup will receive a ³Garden Start² script for a free edible plant of their choice, grown by volunteers under the Communities Putting Prevention to Work Initiative. 

For questions, please call Community Work Day Program (808) 877-2524 or email info@cwdhawaii.org.   

— Mahalo, Rhiannon Chandler
Community Work Day Program Executive Director
Phone: (808) 877-2524
Fax: (808) 873-7762