How to go in the ocean and to the beach while complying with social-distancing, AND make it educational and ocean-friendly!

This particular post in our Earth Month “quarantine-friendly” activities series requires an up-front disclaimer. We must stress that you should be aware of the social distancing rules and guidelines in your given area before doing anything that takes you off of your own property. These rules have been changing, so know before you go; see below for details. 
 
If you need some exercise or want to go fishing and catch dinner, you’re probably still going to the beach and into the ocean while complying with social distancing (which means at the moment, no more than 2 people from a household should be out at one time, please see resources below). We at West Maui Kumuwai have tried to come up with a few activities for you that fit in with the environmental ethics of Earth Day, and could help out with your homeschooling needs.
 

• Do a beach cleanup. You know how we’re all bummed that take out restaurants are using plastic bags again? Make use of them and pick up rubbish while you walk. *Note- new rules on Maui mean you can't walk on the beach, only cross the beach to enter the ocean, so find somewhere else to do the cleanup for now...
  ​Update: OK, now we can walk on the beach again, and some parks are reopening.

 

• Take part in a citizen science activity. In addition to Earth Month, April also happens to be Citizen Science Month. The Citizen Science Association has curated some resources for homeschooling, and there's a very topical post by Science Friday, "How to participate in citizen science in a pandemic" that you can check out. And, April 20-24 is Environmental Education Week too! More here. The National Marine Educators Association has excellent resources and lesson plans, and so does the North American Association for Environmental Education. Plus, there are lots of cool apps out there you can download, like iNaturalist. Locally, you can make a report for the Eyes of the Reef network, do a fish identification survey for REEF, or even help us test out our new dog poop observations program.

 

• Get some photos or videos for an ocean-friendly PSA. Just be sure to do it while exercising and following the rules.

 
BONUS (for Maui residents): Post on social media using #MauiEarthMonth2020 and email in a photo (or screenshot of your social media post) of yourself doing any of these things and we’ll send you a gift card to one of Maui’s essential businesses. In addition to some West Maui restaurants (CJ’s Deli & Diner, Sea House at Napili Kai, and Down the Hatch), we have gift cards to Maui Diving Scuba & Snorkel Center, Maui Sporting Goods, West Maui Sports & Fishing Supply, and New Maui Fishing Supply if you need gear. When you email us your photo or a screenshot of your social media post, please tell us which of these places you’d like a gift card for (with your first, second, and third choice), and include your mailing address. We’ll be giving away gift cards while supplies last, and sharing the photos on our website and social media accounts.
 

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
As noted, the rules have been changing, so know before you go. You could easily get cited, but this is really all about protecting each other collectively. For Hawaii, some key sources to check out are the Governor’s proclamations, under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 127-A, and the individual islands’ mayors’ proclamations and media releases. For Maui, the Police Department’s Facebook page links to the latest information, so it’s a great place to start if you’re on Facebook.