PHOTOS: Surfrider Foundation/+H2O Earth Day Cleanup

By Madeline Ziecker

The Kahului Harbor Earth Day Weekend Clean-up team. Photo by Jimmie Hepp.

While north shore surf remained uninspiring, ocean enthusiasts headed to Kahului Harbor on Saturday, April 21 to participate in a special Earth Day beach clean-up.

The event was organized by +H2O, Surfrider Foundation – Maui Chapter, and Community Work Day Program.

All three organizations started the Maui movement for cleaner coastal waters in October 2010 by organizing community beach clean-ups on every third Saturday of each month.

The goal of Saturday’s Earth Day clean-up was to rid Kahului Harbor of harmful and unsightly debris and ensure that it never re-enters the ocean.

One lucky volunteer's work literally paid off when she found a $5 bill on her search for trash. Photo by Jimmie Hepp.

Over 100 volunteers participated including prominent windsurfers Levi Siver, Bernd Roedinger, Nicolas Dramisino, Pascal Bronniman and Keith Teboul who spent a few hours out of the windy waters at Ho’okipa Beach Park to beautify one of the most polluted areas of Maui’s north coast.

+H2O’s public relations affiliate Katie McMillan said that volunteers at the Earth Day clean-up collected over 30 bags of trash, filling a huge flatbed truck to the brim with pounds of filthy debris.

Volunteers at work, cleaning up Kahului Harbor on Earth Day weekend. Photo by Jimmie Hepp.

The most common trash collected  in the clean-up was a trio of plastics, food wrappers, and an overwhelming number of cigarette butts.

Some rewarding and unusual finds on beach included a $5 bill and two adorable young kittens found on the harbor’s break wall.

Participating volunteers were also rewarded with stacks of Flatbread Pizza boxes, which of course were properly discarded and removed from the site after the post-cleanup chow down.

Two kittens were found in poor condition at the harbor during the clean-up. If they hadn't been found and taken to the shelter, they may have died. Photo by Jimmie Hepp.	(From left) Augustin Ayuso, Nicolas Dramisino, Pascal Bronniman, and Bernd Roedinger. Photo by Jimmie Hepp.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD Participants load trash bags into a flatbed truck. Photo by Jimmie Hepp.	+ H2O's Kahului Harbor beach clean-up hale. Photo by Jimmie Hepp.