Maui Ocean Center employees volunteer on Kahoʻolawe

Maui Ocean Center employees helped reintroduce 1,500 native plants on the island of Kahoʻolawe last week under the guidance of the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC).
 
The eight employees, who work in various departments throughout Maui Ocean Center, planted native vegetation and visited cultural sites during their four-day visit to the uninhabited island, also known as Kanaloa.

“It was a very special, unique experience and I’m incredibly grateful we were able to go,” said Jess Freeman, a marine naturalist who is part of the aquarium’s education team. “I think this trip made me better equipped to discuss both Kahoʻolawe and KIRC with Maui Ocean Center’s visitors.”

Maui Ocean Center is home to a powerful exhibit highlighting the history and healing of Kahoʻolawe, which is located about seven miles southwest of Maui. The display tells the story of Native Hawaiians learning celestial navigation on the island before becoming a bombing range for the US Navy and the subsequent movement to reclaim and restore the sacred island.

Created in collaboration with KIRC, the exhibit — featuring educational videos, newspaper articles and artifacts — is one of the many ways Maui Ocean Center is more than an aquarium. Recent upgrades include new signage about marine debris removal and native planting on Kahoʻolawe. According to the latter sign, KIRC has reintroduced more than 500,000 native plants on Kahoʻolawe.
 
Additionally, a recently added video in the exhibit showcases a virtual rendering of a proposed Kahoʻolawe Visitor Center complete with classrooms, galleries and demonstration gardens. “The island’s remote location, risk of unexploded ordnance and limited accessibility makes traveling to Kahoʻolawe challenging,” the video’s narrator says. “Our solution is to bring Kahoʻolawe to you through our education center right here on Maui.”
 
To learn more about Maui Ocean Center’s Kahoʻolawe exhibit, visit mauioceancenter.com/exhibit/kahoolawe. For more information on KIRC, go to kahoolawe.hawaii.gov.