Hawaiian Electric Awards Grants to Environmental Nonprofits

Hawaiian Electric has awarded a total of $60,000 in grants to four environmental nonprofit organizations working to protect and preserve Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources.

The efforts of the nonprofit organizations, from managing the impacts of climate change to restoring and strengthening forests and reefs, align with Hawaiian Electric’s efforts to advance a  sustainable and resilient Hawaiʻi, according to a company news release.

The nonprofits awarded grants: 

• Blue Planet Foundation: The Honolulu-based nonprofit, committed to a just and sustainable energy future for Hawaiʻi, will use the Hawaiian Electric grant to continue its work shaping the opinion and  behavior of Hawaiʻi’s residents as it relates to climate and clean energy. In addition to its existing  initiatives, Blue Planet also will address new opportunities and challenges.  

• Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL): Its mission is to save the world’s coral reefs. The organization has been working to  improve water quality on Hawaiʻi’s reefs by preventing land-based pollution from entering the ocean and partnering with local communities to reduce threats. In West Maui, CORAL plans to implement a suite of ridge-to-reef restoration projects to reduce sediment reaching the nearshore marine environment. On Hawaiʻi Island, CORAL will help Puakō become the state’s first flagship community to transition from cesspools to improved wastewater treatment. Funding also will support a citizen science program to address sources of water pollution. 

• Hawaiʻi Environmental Restoration: Founded in 2019, the organization focuses on restoring the natural integrity of  Hawaiʻi’s environment, specifically the restoration and preservation of Keauʻohana State Forest  Reserve. The area is the largest and most intact lowland rainforest remaining below 1,000 feet in the state. Hawaiian Electric’s grant will support the continued restoration, management and protection of the critical habitat for rare native and endangered species. Grant monies also will be used to conduct community outreach and education. 

• The Nature Conservancy: It works to protect forests and coral reefs in Hawaiʻi through a collaborative,  science-based approach that also blends in Hawaiian cultural traditions. To help create a sustainable Hawaiʻi with a healthy environment, economy and communities, the nonprofit will collect and synthesize data on nearshore marine areas in West Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, implement a Hawaiʻi Island forest carbon sequestration project, and conduct educational outreach through social media platforms to inspire and remind people of the importance and joys of nature during this global  pandemic.