Posted on: Monday, June 7, 2004

HAWAI'I'S ENVIRONMENT
Oceans Day pushes kids to action

By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Staff Writer

World Oceans Day will pass tomorrow with little notice in Hawai'i, despite the fact we are an island state that relies on the ocean for commerce, recreation and sustenance.

Some Kamehameha Schools fourth-graders decided that wasn't good enough. Before the end of the school year, they launched an international campaign to enlist folks around the globe to commit to undertaking even the smallest of actions to protect our oceans.

The students designed 130 fliers containing the message of World Oceans Day and asking the recipients to sign a pledge to do something good for the ocean environment. Six designs were chosen to be copied and distributed through a network of friends and supporters to such far-flung locations as India, Israel, Canada, Mexico and the Pacific islands, as well as the U.S. East and West coasts.

The students are hoping to return after summer break to a stack of signed pledges mailed back to the school, and perhaps make an even greater difference next year.

The inspiration for their campaign came from a classroom visit by one of Hawai'i's premier female paddlers, Donna Kahakui, who for years has been promoting ocean health through her Kai Makana Foundation and her long-distance paddles that have taken her around the island chain and to New Zealand, Tahiti and New York City.

Her latest journey occurred just days ago with a 200-mile paddle from Hale'iwa to Ka'ula rock on the south side of Ni'ihau.

Kahakui spoke to the Kamehameha students about endangered marine species such as monk seals and sea turtles, and how Native Hawaiians, especially, have a greater responsibility to protect the ocean. And, she issued a challenge: "I'm paddling 200 miles for you, what are you going to do'"

Kahakui says the young students were at first skeptical that they could have an impact. "They were saying, 'Nobody's going to listen to me,' " she said. "I told them that even if they could get someone to just walk down the beach and pick up one cigarette butt, that's better than doing nothing."

Now they are learning even a small drop in the ocean can send far-reaching ripples.

The United Nations declared June 8 World Oceans Day at the 1992 Earth Summit to raise awareness about the life-sustaining role of oceans and to inspire people to protect the seas.

For more information, write Kai Makana at P.O. Box 22719, Honolulu, HI 96823, call 261-8939 or visit www.kaimakana.org.

If you have a question or concern about Hawai'i's environment, reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com, (808) 244-4880 or P.O. Box 156, Wailuku, HI 96793.