 We've made it to the last week of our all-virtual version of our annual community engagement event, the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous, now the Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW! Mahalo to all who have been participating in this experiment! This week, we're featuring the University of Hawaii SeaGrant Program, and two divisions of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources: the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), and the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) (watch our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram as well as all the Ridge to Reef Hui partners' channels). On Wednesday of this week (Oct. 28th) we are excited to host the final talk in our October Science Speaker Series, "Who pledges to protect the ocean? The role of place attachment in motivating voluntary commitments and support for conservation among coastal users in West Maui, Hawaii,” presented by Francisca Santana of Stanford University, who partnered with The Nature Conservancy Hawaii and Polanui Hiu Community Managed Makai Area. Register HERE. On Thursday (Oct. 29th), don't miss this week's seminar in the Hanauma Bay Talks series, “Meet your neighbor island Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Program” presented by Nicole Davis & Jamie Thomton, NOAA Marine Mammal Response Network Island Coordinators. Register HERE.    Be sure to join us for Trivia Night this Friday, starting at 5:00 pm (HST). Get a team together or join one when we start. Sign up HERE. We'll be giving out great prizes to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams ($100, $75, and $50 in gift cards to each team member, respectively), AND everyone who plays will be entered into the random drawing for even more prizes!  Don't forget to participate in our Virtual Scavenger Hunt, and be sure to submit the online form (or email us a scan or photo of a printout) by noon this Friday, October 30th, HST, in order to enter our prize drawing! We'll hold the drawing after we wrap up Trivia Night, then will mail or email out the prizes afterwards.
 Thank you to everyone who has been participating in the all-virtual version of our annual community engagement event, the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous, now the Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW! This week, we're featuring CORAL, Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research (HAMER) (along with Sharkastics and Hawaiian Hawksbill Conservation), and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (watch our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram as well as all the Ridge to Reef Hui partners' channels). On Wednesday of this week we are excited to host the next talk in our October Science Speaker Series, "The Climate Crisis is at Our Shores: How Rising Seas Are Compelling Action in West Maui," presented by Tara Owens of the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program. Register HERE.  If you missed our Week 1 webinar, “Silver Lining of the Pandemic – COVID creates an experiment to study reduced human impacts on water quality and coral reef health at Kahekili, West Maui,” you can watch the recording on YouTube here. If you haven't checked out our Virtual Scavenger Hunt by now, go take a look, and be sure to submit the online form (or email us a scan or photo of a printout) by noon on Friday, October 30th, HST, in order to enter our prize drawing! And you can also start assembling a team for Trivia Night on October 30th, and sign up here.
Watch our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram for posts tagged #R2RR20 all month long!  Thank you to everyone who has been participating in the all-virtual version of our annual community engagement event, the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous, now the Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW! This week, we're featuring Hui o Ka Wai Ola, Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, and Whale Trust (watch our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram as well as all the Ridge to Reef Hui partners' channels). On Wednesday of this week we are excited to host the next talk in our October Science Speaker Series, “Using technology for better natural resource protection: Community role and outcomes of supporting DOCARE officer response in West Maui” presented by Kirk Deitschman and Cole Hendrickson of the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE). Register HERE.  If you missed the first weekly webinar, “Silver Lining of the Pandemic – COVID creates an experiment to study reduced human impacts on water quality and coral reef health at Kahekili, West Maui,” it is available to watch on YouTube here. (no guarantees we'll be able to record and post all of the talks, so please register and join us live!) Our Virtual Scavenger Hunt is now live too, check it out! And you can also start assembling a team for Trivia Night on October 30th, and sign up here. Watch our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram for posts tagged #R2RR20 all month long!  Thank you to everyone who has been following along as we launch the all-virtual version of our annual community engagement event, the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous, which is now (more appropriately) the Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW! The first weekly webinar in our free October Science Speaker Series is tomorrow, October 6th at 5:00 pm HST: “Silver Lining of the Pandemic – COVID creates an experiment to study reduced human impacts on water quality and coral reef health at Kahekili, West Maui.” You can register to attend HERE. This week, we're featuring the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (Oct. 5th & 6th) and the County of Maui Department of Public Works Stormwater Management Program (Oct. 7th & 8th). MNMRC is hosting a free webinar on Wednesday October 7th by Daniel Amato, Ph.D. on “Sewage Impacts on Hawaiʻi’s Coastlines: Past, Present and Future.” (more info here along with a link to register) Our Virtual Scavenger Hunt is now live too, check it out! And you can also start assembling a team for Trivia Night on October 30th, and sign up here. Watch our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram for posts tagged #R2RR20 all month long!  Register HERE
 Welcome to the first week of the monthlong Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW!
Throughout the entire month, we will be featuring many of the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative partners and their inspiring work. Watch for posts on our Facebook page and the social media accounts of all the partners helping to amplify their messages. Looking for activities for your kids and/or students ? Many of the R2R partners have some suggestions on things you can do to take action for our ocean in your everyday lives. If you've attended the "Before Times" Ridge to Reef Rendezvous, you know that one of the (quite popular) features of the event was giving away lots of fantastic prizes via our educational scavenger hunt activity and a drawing at the end. We've moved that online too now, and have a ton of great prizes to give away at the end of the month via a random drawing on Zoom. All you have to do is fill out this form, featuring everything you'll be learning and doing throughout the month. What's cool is that the more items you fill out, the more chances you'll have to win, so bookmark the site and submit it later! We'll hold the drawing on Zoom after Trivia Night on Friday, October 30th. The full rundown and schedule of events that need registering for is on this page of our website. This week we're kicking off the month with West Maui Kumuwai's #OceanFriendlyMaui activity - show us what you (or your friends and neighbors) are doing to take care of our ocean by posting and sending in a photo we can feature on our website and social media! We have some very specific suggestions about how to make the ordinary things you do in your everyday life more ocean-friendly, such as washing your car, walking your dog, fertilizing, dealing with pests, watering your garden, using native plants, doing some yard and property upgrades, or simply going to the beach. You'll see some of those links provide guidance on how to do these things while under (ever-changing) COVID-19 restrictions. Please snap a photo of yourself, your family, or your friends and neighbors doing any of these things, post it to your social media accounts using #OceanFriendlyMaui, and email it to us. Then be sure to check the box on our scavenger hunt form because the more you do this month as part of the Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW, the more chances you'll have to win great prizes! For updates on the Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. The second organization we'll be featuring this week is the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. Check out their upcoming free webinar on October 7th by Daniel Amato, Ph.D. on “Sewage Impacts on Hawaiʻi’s Coastlines: Past, Present and Future.” It's free to register by visiting this link. (Pssst: there may be a question about it on the scavenger hunt form!) You can also follow MNMRC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.  Well, after 10 years of holding the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous annual community event to celebrate mauka to makai environmental stewardship in West Maui, we're all finding ourselves having to adapt to the new socially distanced reality. After we did the requisite amount of moping and lamenting, what did we decide to do? Move it entirely online, of course! So now, we have worked with the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative partners to put together the “Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW,” a monthlong series of events and opportunities in the online ecosystem but also spilling over into your and your family's real life. These free opportunities will include evening presentations, a trivia night, and an online scavenger hunt. Prizes in the form of gift cards to local Maui businesses will be given out through a drawing for all Maui residents who participate in any of the events and who complete our online scavenger hunt form. The trivia night will be held via Zoom on Friday, October 30th, and will feature prizes for the winners as well as even more prizes via a live drawing for scavenger hunt participants. Instead of asking West Maui businesses to donate prizes this year, West Maui Kumuwai has purchased gift cards to support these local businesses that are enduring ongoing hardship due to the pandemic. The virtual event will also highlight the work of over a dozen West Maui organizations who will each be given two days of the month, supported by the network of Ridge to Reef partners who will share and amplify their messages on social media. Parents and teachers should watch for educational activities and resources they can use with their children and students. Free Zoom webinars with Q&A The schedule for the series of free evening presentations to be held over Zoom is below. Please register for the presentations using the links provided.  Tuesday, October 6th: Register HERE. “Silver Lining of the Pandemic – COVID creates an experiment to study reduced human impacts on water quality and coral reef health at Kahekili, West Maui” presented by Andrea Kealoha of the University of Hawaii Maui College, and Yina Liu and Katie Shamberger of Texas A&M University. On March 26, 2020, a mandatory 2-week quarantine for all out-of-state visitors went into effect. The quarantine dropped visitor arrivals to Hawaii by 99.5% and has led to a substantial decline in Maui’s population, as well as a reduction in the amount of wastewater received, treated and injected. In this presentation, we will discuss the impacts of reduced tourism on water quality at Kahekili Beach Park in West Maui, including nutrient loading, emerging organic pollutants, and acidification, and what these changes could mean for coral reef health.  Wednesday, October 14th: Register HERE. “Using technology for better natural resource protection: Community role and outcomes of supporting DOCARE officer response in West Maui” presented by Kirk Deitschman and Cole Hendrickson of the Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE). DOCARE utilizes their DLNRTip app for community reporting of perceived violations, which enhances the eyes and ears of the division. For the Kāʻanapali-Kahekili Makai Watch Area, DOCARE will present on the rules of the area, how to best provide tips using these rules, and analyses generated from tip app and DOCARE report data.  Wednesday, October 21st: Register HERE. “The Climate Crisis is at Our Shores: How Rising Seas Are Compelling Action in West Maui,” presented by Tara Owens of the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program. Coastal Erosion is a continuing and worsening problem, with eighty-five percent (85%) of Maui shorelines experiencing long-term erosion. Sea level rise is a primary factor in the changing size and shape of Hawaii’s shorelines. UH research examining 100 years of data indicates that Maui is losing beaches to erosion faster than Oahu and Kauai due to locally higher rates of sea level rise. Further, West Maui has had the highest percentage of beach loss of any region. In the coming decades, Hawaii shorelines will continue to move inland to further impair infrastructure, property, and ecosystems. In this presentation, we will discuss the shoreline trends along with the many research, policy, and mitigation initiatives that are underway, or being considered, to manage these conditions.  Wednesday, October 28th: Register HERE. "Who pledges to protect the ocean? The role of place attachment in motivating voluntary commitments and support for conservation among coastal users in West Maui, Hawaii,” presented by Francisca Santana, Stanford University. Coral reefs in Hawai'i are under threat from global and local stressors, including rising ocean temperatures, overharvesting, pollution, and increasing ocean-based recreational activity. For example, West Maui’s once abundant reef, Nā Papalimu O Pi‘ilani, now shows significant signs of human impact. Despite important links between coastal user activity and coral reef health, the factors that influence human behavior in nearshore environments are not well-understood. What motivates individuals to take pro-environmental action to protect coral reefs and support conservation, such as taking a voluntary pledge? And how might communities effectively promote respectful reef etiquette among coastal users? Through a partnership with the community group Polanui Hiu, The Nature Conservancy, and Stanford University, we investigate these questions by conducting an in-person survey of 299 coastal users in West Maui from Keka'a Point to Olowalu in October and November of 2019. We collected information on individual coastal users’ 1) reef-based activities, 2) perceptions of reef health, 3) social-psychological indicators (such as place attachment), and 4) willingness to take the "pono pledge" and share their email address. We found that higher levels of natural place attachment (the emotional bond with the physical characteristics of a place) predicted a willingness to sign the pono pledge, whereas higher levels of civic place attachment (the emotional bond with the community in a place) predicted a willingness to provide an email address. Also, we found significant differences in resident and visitor perceptions of coral reefs, with visitors perceiving corals in West Maui to be healthier and the water cleaner. These findings provide community partners with insight into what motivates coastal users to take action to protect coral reefs and suggests targeted ways to conduct future outreach and education. Trivia Night on Friday, October 30th: We're using the pub quiz model for the Ridge to Reef Rendez-view Trivia Night, starting at 5 pm on Friday, October 30th - join us over Zoom for a fun event with great prizes! Form a team of 3-5 people in advance or join one when we get underway. Please use this form to sign up in advance. After we wrap up Trivia Night we'll hold the random drawing for those who entered our virtual scavenger hunt. How to participate in the virtual scavenger hunt: We've moved the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous scavenger hunt online - all you have to do is fill out a form and show us what you learned from all the Ridge to Reef hui partners and how you took action during the month of October. You can also download the form to print out and send it back to us via email if you prefer. We will be giving out prizes via a random drawing for all those (Maui County residents) who submit the form before noon HST on Friday, October 30th.  We convened our characters from previous years' scavenger hunt booklets and they're bummed we can't all gather in person this year for the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous. But let's make the most of it - get some friends together to form teams and join us for Trivia Night! Schedule of West Maui Ridge to Reef Hui partners being featured online:
watch our Facebook page and this section of our website! • Week 1 (week of Sept. 28th): West Maui Kumuwai, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council • Week 2 (week of Oct. 5th): County of Maui Department of Public Works • Week 3 (week of Oct. 12th): Hui o ka Wai Ola, Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership, Marine Institute at Maui Ocean Center, Whale Trust • Week 4 (week of Oct. 19th): Coral Reef Alliance, Hawai‘i Association for Marine Education & Research (including SHARKastics & Hawaiian Hawksbill Conservation), Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant Program • Week 5 (week of Oct. 26th): Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources - Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), and the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), Maui Nui branches Grant support for these events has been provided by the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources and the Doolin Foundation for Biodiversity. Below are just a few of the photos from this year's event; for more, check out this album on Facebook Mahalo to the team from AKAKU for covering the event; here is a video produced by AKAKU Youth Exchange Reporters Alax & Zariah Mahalos!
The event was coordinated by partners within the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative (R2R) and funded by the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources. Additional event support and funding provided by the Coral Reef Alliance, Maui Diving - Scuba & Snorkel Center, and Kohola Brewery. Lunch was generously donated by CJ's Deli & Diner Comfort Zone Restaurant and the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas. The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas also provided recycling containers for the event. Prizes for the scavenger hunt and fishing tournament were generously donated by local Maui businesses, including: All About Fish Maui, Atlantis Submarines Maui, Captain Steve's Rafting Adventures, Down the Hatch, DUO @ The Four Seasons Resort, Duke's Beach House, Honu Seafood & Pizza, Island Press Coffee, Kapalua Ziplines, Ko Restaurant at Fairmont Kea Lani, Leilani's On The Beach, Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop, Mahina Boutique, Mala Ocean Tavern, Merriman's Kapalua, Malolo Molokini Snorkeling Tour, Maui Sporting Goods, New Maui Fishing Supply, Sea House Restaurant, Star Noodle, The Snorkel Store, Trilogy Excursions, UFO Parasail & Adventures, West Maui Sports & Fishing Supply, and Whale Trust Mahalo to the Ridge to Reef Hui Tent partners: Hawai‘i DLNR (Department of Land and Natural Resources) - Division of Aquatic Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement, Marine 30x30 Initiative; Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary; Hui o ka Wai Ola; NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Protected Resources Division; Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership; Whale Trust; The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi; Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research, Inc.; Sharkastics; Hawaiian Hawksbill Conservation; Trilogy Excursions Blue'Aina; Maui Nui Marine Resource Council; Coral Reef Alliance; and West Maui Kumuwai Mahalo to Adam Wong and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources for coordinating the Keiki & 'Ohana Catch & Release Fishing Tournament Mahalo to marine scientist Darla White for leading the reef tour Mahalo to the Kaanapali North Beach Masters Association which manages the privately-owned park where the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous took place Mahalo to the Wednesday evening lecture series speakers: Dr. Ivor Williams, Darla White, Donna Brown, and Ekolu Lindsey Mahalo to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, led by Patty Miller & Amy Eldredge, for coordinating the K-12 student art contest and hosting the Wednesday evening lecture series Mahalo to Maui Diving - Scuba & Snorkel Center for coordinating a fantastic ridge to reef cleanup with over 100 people Mahalo to Kohola Brewery for hosting Science Night, brewing Reef Geeks Hazy IPA in support of the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative, and throwing a beer release party after the cleanup Mahalo to the University of Hawaii Maui College Marine Option Program for all the help developing and deploying the "Haunted Reef" Mahalo to the Lahaina News for publishing a series of articles linked to the event, and to Maui Now and Malika Dudley for a great video feature Mahalo to event photographer Ananda Stone of Splash Productions for capturing the day so beautifully And finally, mahalo to all the fantastic volunteers who made the event possible: Charley Dofa, Karen & John Seebart, Linda Tesar-Amimoto, Eileen Robb, Jeep Dunning, Lisa Davis, TaylorRose Stone, Sanoma Boynton, Stephanie Pettee, Makayla Richmond, Caroline Sabharwal, Carrie DeMott, Robyn Walters, Joseph deLoache, Lynne Masters, Nancy & John Norman, Larry Boysen, Deborah Johnson, Grover Hatch, Nanette Bowan, Teje , Jim & Cathy Maxwell, and Sheila Murphy Congratulations to the winners of the 4th Annual Keiki & ʻOhana Catch & Release Fishing Tournament!10/26/2019
 We had another fantastic event, with 53 young fishers and their families entering the tournament! Mahalo once again to Adam Wong of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, for coordinating the event, part of the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous. Prizes for the tournament were generously donated by All About Fish, Maui Sporting Goods, New Maui Fishing Supply, and West Maui Sports & Fishing Supply. More photos from the tournament can be found in a Facebook album here, and from the overall event, here. Tournament Winners: Papio 1st place: Purnat Durso (5.75”) 2nd place: Aubrey Phillips (5.5”) 3rd place: Kaos Samudio (5.25”) 4th place: Zachary Valdez Jr (5.1”) Other 1st place: Kanoelani Hapakuka (13.75” lai) 2nd place: Aiden Pacheco (10.5” humu) 3rd place: Nash Okano (9.75” hagi) 4th place: Kaleb Okano (9.5” weke) First Fish Kanon Kayyem (7” humu) As part of this year's Ridge to Reef Rendezvous, students in grades K-12 are encouraged to enter our Ridge 2 Reef Art Contest! Art work will be displayed and prizes awarded at the event, on Saturday October 26th at Kahekili Beach Park. Event attendees will have the chance to vote for finalists selected from the entries. Winners from each grade level group will receive a prize, and one grand prize will be awarded. Art Materials: Art entries must be no larger than 8 1⁄2” X 11” and be created on paper, cardboard or foam board. Arts and crafts materials may be used, such as crayons, markers, colored pencils, yarn, etc. Computer-generated artwork and text WILL NOT be accepted. Submit art in a flat envelope. All entries must also be clearly labeledon the back, upper left hand corner with the student’s first and last name, and phone number and/or email address. (PLEASE PRINT). Deadline: Oct 15, 2019 Entries can be mailed or delivered to: Patty Miller, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary, 726 S. Kihei Road, Kihei, HI 96753 Everyone can play a role in protecting our oceans and reefs-there are many actions you can take that will make a difference! Poster Topics Grades K-5 If you were in charge of protecting the ocean and coral reefs, what would you tell people they should do (or not do) to help keep marine life and their home healthy? Grades 6-12 What actions can people take to protect our oceans and reefs? Choose one action, and create a message encouraging people what to do. How and why should they take action? Bonus! Social Media Challenge Students can earn an extra entry into our fantastic prize drawing at the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous by sharing their stewardship messages on their own social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook), using the hashtag #R2R10th in one of two ways: 1) post a photo of the artwork they entered into this contest, or 2) make a short video or caption a photo about the stewardship message they chose. Social media posts must use the hashtag #R2R10th, and be posted by 9 am on Friday, October 25th in order to be entered into the drawing, and students must be present at the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous to claim prizes won in the drawing. DOWNLOAD THE CONTEST FLIER HERE check out some photos from last year's event, below, and in our Facebook album!   This year we'll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area! Visit the event pages on Facebook for more information about the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous and the Keiki & 'Ohana Catch and Release Fishing Tournament on October 26th, 2019.   |
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