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)

We were honored to have Dr. Ivor Williams of NOAA come to Maui to present on the science behind the KHFMA. Dr. Williams has been researching this region since before the KHFMA was established. Check out the video from the presentation that we live-streamed to Facebook:

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!
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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!

Ekolu Lindsey of Polanui Hiu Community Managed Makai Area has shared their new resource available to the community, an Ocean-Friendly Guide, which was developed to help visitors enjoy all that Maui has to offer. According to Ekolu, "the guide is filled with links and information. We hope this information helps keep everyone safe, our cultural resources utilized respectfully, and our visitors filled with Aloha in their hearts to share around the world." The content was developed by Polanui Hiu with graphic design and layout by Alana Yurkanin.
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You can download a PDF of the guide here.

For more from Polanui Hiu, visit their website, Facebook page, Instagram, or email them.

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.

Over the weekend, we partnered with Lahainaluna High School and the Old Lahaina Luau to hold the first-ever ocean-friendly car wash in Hawai'i! Washing cars causes a variety of pollutants (including oils and heavy metals like lead and arsenic, not to mention the cleaning products) to wash off and get into storm drains, where they ultimately end up in the ocean and can harm the environment. We tested out a model used elsewhere in the US to suck up and redirect the wash water to vegetated areas (or inputs to the sanitary sewer), and NOT into storm drains. Mahalo to a great crew from Lahainaluna High School for all the hard work, and to the Old Lahaina Luau for hosting us! We'd also like to thank the project's sponsors, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Hawai'i Department of Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources!
​Check out this album of photos, and to see some videos from the event, including a how-to guide, here's a YouTube playlist. For tips on washing your car the ocean friendly way, please visit our website.

Mahalo to everyone who made this year's celebration such a fantastic success! Check out our Facebook photo album.

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!