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#OceanFriendlyMaui: Your Friends' and Neighbors' Properties

9/14/2020

 
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For our Earth Month activities, we encouraged people to share their ocean-friendly practices with us. Now, we’re asking Maui residents to share their friends and neighbors’ ocean-friendliness with us! For some inspiration, check out what West Maui hotels and resorts have done. You can do a bunch of those things on your own property, like redirecting a downspout to water a garden, or installing some permeable pavers to promote infiltration. That helps our groundwater health and could mean more water in streams, less in storm drains. If you’ve seen anyone doing that, show us! Has anyone you know installed some drip irrigation or a fancy timer system connected to weather reports? Put in a rain garden? We want to know about it!
Here’s how to participate: get out there are “bust” your friends and neighbors being ocean friendly with their properties by snapping a photo (*safely socially-distanced of course), send us the photo (*with their permission of course), and if you can, post it on your own social media as well using #OceanFriendlyMaui. Include your mailing address when you email us so we can send you a gift card (if you’re a Maui resident). We’ll share it on our pages and website to highlight the positive action people are taking.


"Earth Month" is now our Ocean-Friendly Summer of Giveaways

5/1/2020

 
Thank you to everyone who posted or sent in photos for our #MauiEarthMonth2020 experiment while in lockdown! Well, it's now May, we're still doing social distancing, AND we have a LOT MORE gift cards to give away, so we're extending our "Earth Month" activities through the summer. We'll give you a $25 gift card to one of several essential businesses that are still open (CJ's Deli & Diner, Sea House at Napili Kai, Down the Hatch, Maui Diving Scuba & Snorkel Center, West Maui Sports & Fishing Supply, Maui Sporting Goods, New Maui Fishing Supply, and Ace Hardware Lahaina) - all you (Maui residents) have to do is send us (and preferably post on your own social media, too) a photo of you and/or your family doing one of the ocean-friendly activities, below. 
  • Growing a Victory Garden or doing some yard/garden renovations
  • Share a "what you can do" message in any form you like (drawing, video, whatever!)
  • Test out our dog poop citizen science datasheet (yes, we're asking you to count piles of poop in your neighborhood)
  • ​Wash your car on your lawn, use a nozzle & non-toxic/biodegradable soap
  • Pick up trash along the beach, now that we can walk on the beach again
  • ​Do a citizen science activity outside, like a REEF or Eyes of the Reef survey
we'll keep this going until we run out of gift cards, so send us your ocean-friendly photos!

Innovative Stormwater Management Roadshow

8/31/2018

 
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This week we co-coordinated a workshop for West Maui property managers all about dealing with stormwater, including Low Impact Design, "Good Housekeeping," and other Best Management Practices. ​The workshop included a tour of West Maui facilities for an insider look into some novel projects and approaches currently being implemented in West Maui. Check out this photo album on Facebook with detailed captions of our site visits, and the presentations we shared. The slides in this album were prepared and presented by Lauren Roth Venu of Roth Ecological Design Int. LLC. Project partners included West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative, the West Maui Kumuwai campaign, Coral Reef Alliance, and Project S.E.A.-Link. Mahalo to project sponsors the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Another big mahalo to all those who attended and are putting these strategies into practice at their properties!

Honokowai condos taking steps to manage runoff

4/5/2016

 
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 ​​There are many things that can be done at a property level to reduce polluted runoff, from easy and small-scale to more involved. However, they may not always be recognizable if you don't know what to look for. The good news is that there are already a lot of great practices already in place within the condominium properties in Honokowai we're aiming to work with, so we put together a gallery to showcase some of of the examples we've encountered. (To display the captions for each photo, hover your cursor over the image)

This mound of grass effectively serves as a filter strip to intercept and treat the water from the beach shower at the Aston Kāʻanapali Shores.
The Hale Kai connected downspouts from its rain gutters to vegetated areas, which promote infiltration, so less water ends up in the storm drains and ultimately the ocean.
A curb cut seen at Ka'anapali Shores- this simple stormwater solution allows water running off parking lots to reach vegetated areas and irrigate plants, instead of going directly into storm drains and ultimately the ocean.
Semipermeable pavers, spotted at Ka’anapali Beach Club.
The shower area near Kaleialoha’s pool is designed to prevent runoff by using a visually-pleasing combination of stones, gravel, and plants.
The Kuleana is the only property in the Honokowai area with a stenciled storm drain, reminding residents that the drain leads to the ocean and is very different from the sanitary sewer system, which takes water off property to the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility, to be treated for disposal (via injection wells) or reuse for irrigation purposes to the properties connected to the County's R1 system.
A closed dumpster seen at the Mahana. Closing dumpsters prevents any leaked chemicals or other materials from mixing with accumulated rainwater and ultimately washing off into the surrounding areas when the dumpsters are emptied or cleaned out.
A curb cut seen at The Mahana- the water from the parking lot is doing a great job taking care of the plants in the median!
Maui Kai's community garden, set up with drip irrigation to reduce runoff.
Maui Sands connected the downspouts from its rain gutters to vegetated areas alongside the building.
Paki Maui’s rain runoff is piped to a garden area, keeping it away from the paved areas where it could end up in the storm drains.
Semipermeable pavers spotted at Papakea.
A great recycling setup at Papakea, with all the receptacles closed to contain any leaked or spilled substances.
The downspout connectors at Polynesian Shores help promote passive infiltration throughout the vegetated area fronting the units.
Drip irrigation in use in this garden area at Polynesian Shores, saving water and money!
The shower area near Kaleialoha’s pool is designed to prevent runoff by using a visually-pleasing combination of stones, gravel, and plants
Another look at Kaleialoha’s shower area
A baseyard and storage area at Nohonani. The shed ensures that any chemicals (such as those in cleaning supplies, fertilizers, paints, etc.) are contained, so that stormwater runoff won’t pick up any leaks or spills if it rains or when gear or equipment is being washed down nearby. The impermeable surface in this area is useful to contain any spills as well, so they can be cleaned up instead of infiltrating into the ground.
Nohonani's Resident Manager Joe, with the certificate earned by the property from the National Swimming Pool Foundation. Their training covers local rules and regulations as well as environmentally-friendly practices.
Polynesian Shores uses half the amount of chemicals to treat the pool than are typically used, and that after dechlorination the water is pumped to the sanitary sewer system, where is it ultimately treated, as opposed to putting it down the storm drains, where it is not.

By embracing the natural landscape, a barren yard turns into an eco-friendly outdoor retreat

9/3/2015

 
Lahaina News, September 3, 2015
KAANAPALI - When Debra Caswell bought a barren one-third-acre lot in Lanikeha above Kaanapali, building a house wasn't her top priority. "I wanted a property to grow a garden," said Caswell. When she got the green light to start construction, she quickly moved her mass of plants - already growing in anticipation at her then-condo - to her new property.
Her vision for the outdoors was similar to that of her now three-bedroom, one-story house that was designed to catch the trades: it needed to embrace the natural landscape. Specifically, she wanted a low-water landscape that featured mostly native plants.
The first step was planning her gardens - all four - according to the direction of the sun. The bright, west-facing garden is for edibles, like Molokai sweet potatoes, squash and peppers. The south is for plants that can take the heat, such as ma'o (Hawaiian cotton), kokio keokeo (white hibiscus), kokio ula (red-orange hibiscus) and a hedge of a'ali'i (shrub). Along the east lies a steep slope, completely sunken from the front road, which Caswell turned into her serenity garden.
"The area is protected from the wind and very calming," she said. Here, trees like dwarf mango, keahi and hau provide a shaded canopy. Winds from the northeast roll through the north garden, fingering through kupukupu ferns, green and red ti plants.
The diversity of the outdoor areas are like Caswell's personal compass. "When I was young, I made a commitment to myself that wherever I live, I would have a place to go according to my mood," she said. "If I need sunshine, I go south. For calm, it's the north. To feel cloistered, I go east. If I'm hungry, I head west."
Navayo Caiserman, owner of West Maui Lawn & Landscape, helped Caswell put her ideas into action. "Usually, I have a vision for the design," said Caiserman. "But Deb knew exactly what she wanted. I steered her in the right direction on certain aspects, but this was clearly her yard, her project." The project took two months, and Caswell got her hands dirty with the crew, digging alongside of them.
One element served as a new venture for them both: two 50-foot-long, two-foot-wide bioswales that run along the north and south-facing sides of the property. Though they look and function like loose gravel pathways, the bioswales catch water runoff and allow it to slowly percolate into the ground, similar to how a native forest catches rain and draws water into the aquifer. "When we had our big rains last spring, all of the water was captured in the bioswales. It was a success," she explained.
Other water-saving tricks include nixing sprinklers and opting for a drip system that runs for only 15 minutes every other day. Drip lines even water the two-foot by six-foot swathe of lawn made for her Chihuahua-Poodle mix, Parker. "Most people told me to expect an initial water bill of $500 a month as my garden got underway," said Caswell, who admits to taking long showers. "My largest bill has been $88 so far."
One of the reasons for her low bill, said Caiserman, is that she used the right plants in the right places. "Getting that Hana style of landscaping on West Maui requires a lot of effort," he said. "You're going to need lots of water and fertilizer, and when you combine that with our West Maui sun, the amount of growth and ongoing maintenance can be tremendous." Both Caiserman and Caswell are quick to point out that a native garden doesn't mean you have to exclude your favorite plants. For example, if you want red ginger, put a few, not dozens, on the shady side of the house.
In the end, Caiserman said he learned a lot from the project, and he's going to use his new skills on other jobs. "The coolest part about Deb's landscaping is that it cost less to do, costs less to maintain and costs our island a lot less resources," he said.
For Caswell, she finds gratification in simplicity. "Sometimes, I look out and watch Monarch butterflies sit on my crown flowers and think, we created a space that honors this land and has life. Now that's what I find most important."
For those interested in learning more about sustainable landscaping practices, West Maui Kumuwai coordinates an Ocean-Friendly Landscaping Program and maintains a listing of companies on its website that have taken a pledge to adhere to sustainable landscaping practices. Ocean-Friendly Landscapers are provided with marketing materials to share with clients and receive exposure through the program's media efforts. To date, participating companies include A Nutt Nurseries, E'Scapes, Kaanapali Operations Association, MauiScapes LLC, Mel's Yard Service, SGS Hawaii, West Maui Lawn and Landscape, and ZELM (Zero Emission Landscape Maintenance).
As part of a new project to promote sustainability in West Maui and highlight the connection of landscaping practices to the health of the coral reef, West Maui Kumuwai is specifically looking for Honokowai condo properties' landscaping service providers to join the Ocean-Friendly Landscaping program. For more information, or to join, please contact West Maui Kumuwai. 

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  • Home
  • About
  • Pledges
    • Ocean-Friendly Property Pledge
    • Ocean-Friendly Landscaper Pledge
    • Individual Pledge
  • News & Events
  • What you can do
    • Car Wash Like a Greenie
    • Handle Pesky Pest Right
    • Use Fertilizer Wisely
    • Pick Up After My Pooch
    • Water Smart Outdoors
    • Plant Pono
    • Install a Rain Garden
    • Lend a Hand
  • Resources
    • Ocean-Friendly Properties
    • Ocean-Friendly Landscapers
    • Ocean Preferred Products
    • Pledge Support
  • 2020 R2RR-VIEW