Saturday 28, 2018
The Sand Castle Service Project makes an effort not only to pick up marine debris and trash, but also restore a fishing pond hit by a hurricane. On the beach we volunteered at, our goal was to pick up and reduce waste which could hurt marine mammals, including Monk Seals. They sometimes eat or play with plastic or other harmful forms of trash, which could kill them. Sea turtles near the beach are also at risk from this pollution, and the efforts of the nonprofit we volunteered with have a goal to protect these animals. Our volunteer group picked up everything from dirty diapers to large copper rods, washed up from the ocean. After our session cleaning, we worked to remove sand from a fishing pond hit by a hurricane. It blew tons of sand into this water hole, and it impacts the consistency and quality of the sand already present. To make our conservation efforts more fun, we built castles and other structures out of what we shoveled. Our efforts helped restore the beach and preserve the area for people to enjoy. Later, we headed off to Pololu Valley, a beautiful location with a beach, forest, and hills. We hiked from the top of our hill to the black sand beach, and proceeded to explore the forest and river. A unique part of the beach was the abundance of rock stacks, which have an interesting history. In Hawaii, they are built to honor the gods or leave a memorial for someone. In Asia, they mark paths or represent holy grounds. As we hiked, many of these stacks littered the forest and beach, respected by visitors. Finally we left to return home and eat, safe and sweaty after all our effort today. Tomorrow I look forward to visiting the Farmer’s Market to hopefully taste some of the freshest fruits and produce.
