Making a Difference with Movers and Shakas

On Saturday, January 22nd, Hawaii Botanical Society and the CTAHR Alumni Association & Friends partnered with the Movers and Shakers program to help clean a section of the Ka Iwi coastline on the East side of Oahu. With direction from Rebecca Barone, President of the Hawaii Botanical Society, additional CTAHR-ians, and about 50 volunteers, carefully picked their way through native plants and bee habitats to remove invasive grasses, weeds, fallen debris and branches, and plastics found along the shore. Movers and Shakas runs place-based immersion programs designed to attract, integrate and retain key talent, especially returning kamaʻāina, to learn, contribute and connect in Hawaiʻi.  The coastline clean-up  activity helped to teach many new comers to the islands about the importance of respecting the land and all of it’s inhabitants.  Participants commented that they felt a sense of accomplishment at seeing the difference made in the area following removal of the unwanted material.  They also said that they were looking at the sand with new eyes, now noticing the small pieces of plastic that litter the beach and are so destructive to marine life.  One volunteer said she would never be able to just stroll the beach anymore without bending to pick up the trash she passes.