Free Sanctuary Lectures Offered at Old Lahaina Courthouse

File photo of Lahaina, West Maui. By Wendy Osher.

By Maui Now Staff

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary will extend its outreach to West Maui with weekly lectures held at the Old Lahaina Courthouse.

The lectures are free and open to the public, and will be held every Tuesday at 11 a.m. on the first floor of the courthouse building.

“In addition to the weekly lecture, the courthouse houses exhibits about NOAA’s work in Lahaina as well as a look at the town’s history from both the Hawaiian cultural and historical perspective,” leaders said in a joint announcement.

The lecture series is made possible through the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the Pacific Islands Region of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, in collaboration with the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

Sanctuary superintendent Malia Chow said the agency presence in West Maui will allow them to reach visitors and the local population with sanctuary messages.

“The Old Lahaina Courthouse has a long history of community use, and we are happy to partner with NOAA to provide a space for the weekly, free whale talks,” said Theo Morrison, executive director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation in a press release.

The sanctuary works to protect humpback whales through research, education, conservation and stewardship; while NOAA aims to “understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.”