Posted on: Monday, November 8, 2004

For the Environment

Advertiser Staff

HOLIDAY GIFT TO MAUI: The Community Work Day program is coordinating the annual Holiday Gift to Maui Nui cleanup and beautification effort from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday with special projects at the Old Maui High campus (call 877-2524), Paukukalo Hawaiian Homes park, the Uluniu Street shoreline in Kihei (875-6467), and Mala Wharf/Pu'upiha Cemetery in Lahaina (661-0238). For more information and other cleanup sites on Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i, call CWD on Maui at 877-2524.

POUHALA MARSH RESTORATION: The Hawai'i Nature Center is cleaning up and restoring the marsh, the largest remaining wetland habitat in Pearl Harbor. Volunteers are needed to pull pickleweed from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Bring work gloves, water, hat, sunscreen, towel and change of clothes; covered footwear and long pants required. To sign up, contact Pauline Kawamata at 955-0100, ext. 18.

NENE WATCHERS NEEDED: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is seeking volunteers to protect and manage Hawaiian geese during the October-to-March breeding season. A three-month minimum commitment is desired. Duties include monitoring of nene flocks, reading lettered bands, predator trapping and assisting with banding of adult birds and goslings. Requirements include familiarity with using computers, maps and compasses, ability to take detailed field notes and hike up to five miles per day over rugged terrain, and a driver's license. Dorm-style housing and meal reimbursement provided. Send resum?, references and cover letter to: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Attn: Kathleen Sherry, Division of Resources Management, P.O. Box 52, Hawai'i National Park, HI 96718, or e-mail kathleen_sherry@nps.gov.

WORK WITH THE FISHES: The Waikiki Aquarium has volunteer opportunities for School Support Program docents, Edge of the Reef interpreters, Monk Seal Program assistants, aquarist assistants, gift shop staff and more. Call the aquarium's volunteer coordinator at 923-9741.

GREEN NOTES

TOUR DE TRASH: If you've wondered what happens to all the stuff you wash down the drain or flush down the toilet, you'll find the answers on the Nov. 18 Tour de Trash bus tour, provided by the city's Refuse Division. Tour will visit the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant and Water Reclamation Facility, where Veolia Water North America processes wastewater into clean water for irrigation and industry; the Navy's Biosolids Composting Facility, where sewage sludge is being composted with ground green waste to create a nutrient-rich compost product; the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant; and Pacific Biodiesel, which converts cooking oil and grease from restaurants into a biodiesel fuel. The tour runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and begins and ends at Kapolei Hale. Participants must show up 15 minutes prior to departure time. Call 692-5410 to register; for tour schedules and details, check the Web at www.opala.org/recycling_businesses/Tour_de_trash_2004.html.

BUILD A COMPOST TUMBLER: Learn how to build a compost tumbler that can break down greenwaste into compost. The Kona Outdoor Circle and Recycle Hawai'i class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 19 at the Festival of Trees. The cost is $20 ($15 for Kona Outdoor Circle members.) To register, call (808) 329-7286.

RECYCLE MOTOR OIL: Vehicle owners in rural areas of the Big Island who like to change their own motor oil can bring used oil to collection sites at the Ka'auhuhu (Hawi) and Pahala transfer stations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 20. The oil will be recycled, preventing contamination of ground water and natural resources. No more than 3 gallons of used motor oil per person will be accepted at each site; acceptable materials include used motor oil, gear oil, shock oil, hydraulic oil, transmission oil and diesel. Solvents, gasoline, brake fluid, thinners, paints and antifreeze will not be accepted. Used-oil collection sites are open year-round at the Hilo Auto Recycling Center, Kona Harley-Davidson, the Kealakehe High School auto shop, Pa'auilo Village Service, South Point U-Cart and Waimea Auto Center.

For more information, call (808) 961-2676 or (808) 329-2886, or visit the Recycle Hawai'i Web site at www.recyclehawaii.org.

HAZARDOUS WASTE DROP OFF: Nov. 26 is the deadline to make appointments for the next household hazardous waste drop-off Dec. 4. Call 692-5411 or e-mail info@opala.org to schedule an appointment. Before calling, take an inventory of the type and quantity of materials. The following materials are among a long list that will be accepted: acetone, arsenic, herbicides, kerosene, lighter fluid, mercury, paint stripper and thinner, rust remover, swimming pool chemicals and wood preservatives. For more information, check www.opala.org.

For a free listing of your environmental event, send details to For the Environment, P.O. Box 156, Wailuku, HI 96793; fax (808) 242-1520; or e-mail cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.