A day for Mother Earth
| • | Experience Earth Day |
By Zenaida Serrano
Advertiser Staff Writer
 |
| Taylor Cabral, a second-grader at Maryknoll, studies a fern. Maryknoll students have decorated 300 grocery bags to mark Earth Day today.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Maryknoll School students decorated nearly 300 grocery bags as part of the 11th annual Earth Day Groceries Project. The program encourages school children to share their views on ecology and the environment by creating artistic bags for grocery outlets worldwide.
"By participating ... (the students) are learning respect for the earth and its living things, in addition to the importance of conservation of our planet's resources," said Maryknoll School president Michael Baker.
The Maryknoll students are among several O'ahu groups that have planned activities to observe Earth Day today.
At the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, Earth Day festivities coincide with the dedication of the campus' new Sustainability Courtyard.
The courtyard, coordinated by the UH Office of Sustainability, was developed because students and faculty had requested an outdoor gathering place that demonstrates Earth-friendly principles and practices, said office director Bruce Miller.
"The university has a capacity to be a good neighbor," Miller said. "... We can create places that are friendly for people to be in."
The courtyard will include organic, locally grown food; tables and benches made of recycled plastic; landscaping with native and drought-resistant plants; and water-saving practices such as mulching.
The all-day event today includes entertainment by Makana; a market with healthful dishes, organic produce and handmade crafts; displays on renewable energy and recycling; and volunteer projects, such as planting gardens, repairing walls and installing bike racks.
Students who volunteer to help with one of the projects will receive a $5 chip for a mini-lunch and water.
Weekend events
On Saturday, the City & County of Honolulu and Ala Wai Watershed Association present Ala Wai Watershed Awareness Day, held in conjunction with Earth Day.
Keeping the waters that drain into the Ala Wai Canal clean and improving the canal's water quality will be emphasized, said association executive director Karen Ah Mai.
Volunteers will release 300 mullet into the Ala Wai, round up destructive catfish in Manoa and remove alien algae in Waikiki.
At Kapi'olani Park, there will be narrated watershed trolley tours, environmental displays and entertainment by Hula Halau Olana, George Kuo and Jordan Segundo, who has been named the city's clean water spokesperson.
"One of the main reasons why I've agreed to take on this role is because I enjoy swimming, surfing and paddling," Segundo said.
Event-goers will learn that keeping Hawai'i's waters clean "is really simple," the former "American Idol" finalist said.
Little things such as throwing rubbish in the right place and not washing away debris or leaves down storm drains can make a big difference, Segundo said.
Reach Zenaida Serrano at zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.
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Partial list of free activities:
Earth Day 2004 at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today in the Sustainability Courtyard, next to Kuykendall Hall. 956-9346.
Healing Self Through Healing Nature: Buddhist Reflections on Interdependence,7 to 9 p.m. today; Eiben Hall of the Ching Conference Center, second floor, Chaminade University. Includes a lecture, "Sacred Places: A Worldwide Photographic Pilgrimage," and a video presentation, "Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing Self." Presented by the Hawai'i Association of International Buddhists, Chaminade University Buddhist Studies Program, Buddhist Study Center and Chaminade University Student Activities. 956-8507.
Earth Day Celebration, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, He'eia Stream. Clean-up of the stream presented by Friends of He'eia State Park. 247-3156.
Ala Wai Watershed Awareness Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Kapi'olani Park bandstand. Related activities include alien algae removal 8 a.m. near the Hilton Hawaiian Village, forest restoration 9 a.m. in Makiki Valley; alien species removal 10 a.m. at Manoa Stream; and fish stocking 10:15 a.m. at the Ala Wai Canal. 955-7882.
Earth Arts Family Festival, noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Ho'ala School, 311 Lehua St. in Wahiawa. With nature art activities such as paper-making, lauhala-weaving, coconut-painting and sculpture from driftwood and recycled materials. There also will be music, dance, drama performances, healthful Island foods, a country store and silent auction. 621-1898.
Aloha Kolea!, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Waimea Valley Audubon Center. Researcher Wally Johnson will share slides and findings on the ecology of Pacific golden plovers, or kolea. Sponsored by Waimea Valley Audubon Center and Hawai'i Nature Center. 638-9199.
