Maui Nui Marine Resource Council

Free presentation about unique collaboration of 7 environmental projects on Maui and Molokaʻi
2021-01-27 17:30 - 19:00 UTC | HI
During the Great Depression, the government-sponsored Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided paychecks for 3 million unemployed young men and provided valuable labor for conservation projects across the country.
With unemployment at record levels due to COVID-19, a new program followed this historical CCC model and put more than 70 Maui and Molokai residents to work in November, providing seven local conservation nonprofits with needed labor to benefit coral reefs, cultural resources and the environment.
The public is invited to a free presentation on Weds. January 27 at 5:30 pm on Zoom to learn about this unique collaborative employment and workforce training program and the impact it had on our local environment. The presentation will include videos, photos and firsthand accounts of the projects and accomplishments, with information on how the projects incorporated traditional Hawaiian cultural practices and modern technology to prevent sediment pollution in the ocean and protect valuable cultural resources.
It’s free, but registration is required. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/mauiCARES
This unique collaborative employment and workforce training program was made possible through the County of Maui Office of Economic Development’s Maui CARES program, which was funded by the Federal CARES Act. As the fiscal sponsor, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council oversaw the administration of the Maui CARES funding for the projects and managed the rapid employment of more than 70 new hires with the help of simplicityHR by ALTRES.
The workers participated in conservation and restoration projects in Olowalu, Waihe’e, Keanae, Kipahulu, Hana and Moloka’i. All of the projects were rooted in Hawaiian cultural practices and values which serve as the foundation of our community. Their work was filmed by Inflatable Film of Kula. The evening will include video premieres exclusively for webinar attendees.
“Through this presentation, attendees will be immersed in a virtual experience to feel the importance of Kuleana, ʻOhana, Kōkua, Aloha ʻAina, Mālama ʻAina, and Hānai ʻAina, said Ekolu Lindsey, President of Maui Cultural Lands and a principal organizer of this program. “Be inspired to follow in the footsteps of those who have come before us, as we share our legacies with you.”
The participating nonprofits include:
Ka Honua Momona on Molokai worked to restore two ancient fishponds, which will help trap sediment before it reaches the open ocean – with the benefit of also producing fish for local people.
Kipahulu ‘Ohana in East Maui improved a lo’i, or wetland taro farm. The taro plants will slow the flow of stormwater, allowing time for sediment in the water to settle, rather than flow out to sea.
Hawaiian Islands Land Trust in Waihe’e worked to remove invasive species along approximately 3,000 linear feet of Kalepa Stream to lower sediment loads in the nearshore waters off Waihe’e and protect offshore corals.
Ke Ao Hali‘i (KAH) in Hana worked on 27 acres of publicly owned land at Mokae/Kaholaiki and another ~2 acres of contiguous land, directly above Hamoa Beach. Their project included invasive plant removal and native habitat restoration for seabirds and insects, and a biological survey of ‘opihi as a baseline for a possible ‘opihi rest area in the future.
Kipuka Olowalu in West Maui reestablished washed out and damaged lo’i (taro fields), rebuilt vanished lo’i and prepared lo’i for planting in the Olowalu Cultural Reserve. Workers removed overgrowth, fire hazards and invasive plants; planted native plants and crops and repaired infrasturcture.
Na Moku ‘Aupuni O Ko‘olau Hui in East Maui worked on watershed management and stream maintenance, as well as stream and ditch monitoring in the East Maui Irrigation system to establish accurate data for stream and ditch flow and loss as a basis for making sound future management decisions related to this resource and delivery infrastructure.   Each of the nonprofits will be presenting their work and accomplishments through photos, video and stories from the field.
Na Mamo o Mu‘olea in East Maui focused on land and shoreline management on a county parcel (which Nā Mamo O Mū’olea has a 50 year lease). It included removal of invasive plants around a rock wall that is on the historic registry, and preparation for wall restorations, maintenance of two heiau on the property, installation of new fencing around an area designated for native trees and medicinal plants, and maintenance and repair of feral animal controls.
“This presentation is a celebration of all that was accomplished and learned,” said Lindsey. “We encourage the public to attend to connect with these organizations and the workers who put heart and soul into these challenging and impactful projects.“
The emcees for this event are Ekolu Lindsey and Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a community-based nonprofit organization celebrating 13 years of working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish throughout Maui County. Our work includes co-managing the Hui O Ka Wai Ola Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program in South and West Maui, efforts to reduce pollution in Mā‘alaea Bay (through erosion-control efforts in the Pohakea watershed and using oysters to filter sediment and pollutants from ocean water), coral reef research, visitor education programs and more. Learn more at www.mauireefs.org.

Free Feb. 10 talk on “Using the distant past as a guide for future decision-making about restoring and managing coastal lands in Waiheʻe and other parts of Hawaiʻi” by Scott Fisher, PhD
2021-02-10 17:30 - 18:30 | Zoom webinar
Reserve your free spot at https://bit.ly/HILTpast
How can the distant past be used as a guide for future decision-making about restoring and managing coastal lands and helping these ecosystems survive future challenges from rising sea levels and climate change? Learn more at a free Zoom presentation that focuses on the science of paleoecology, which is the study of interactions between organisms and their environments across geologic timescales, by Scott Fisher, PhD, Chief Conservation Officer at Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT). The talk will take place on Wednesday, February 10, and will be hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.”
Dr. Fisher’s presentation will be shared via Zoom and is free of charge and open to all who wish to attend. Advance reservations are required and are free. To reserve, visit https://bit.ly/HILTpast
Fisher and the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust staff are using sediment coring at locations such as Nu`u Pond to extract and examine micro-fossils embedded in the sediment. They are working to understand past ecosystems on HILT lands, particularly the function and composition of vegetation across landscapes. For example, what plants and organisms were most dominant approximately 2,000 years ago, long before the first humans arrived on Maui? How were they capable of withstanding substantial ecological disturbances, such as floods and tsunami? What can be learned from this natural history to better manage coastal lands in Waiheʻe and other parts of Hawaiʻi to make them more resilient to a changing global climate?
“As climate change brings about substantive changes to our islands, we need to discern ways of adapting to more intense storms, sea level rise and loss of coastal ecosystems,” said Dr. Fisher. “The past holds the key to the future, and by learning about the past, we can better understand how to restore, adapt and change in order to make our islands and nearshore coral reefs more resilient.”
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” events are held monthly via Zoom. Support for these events is provided by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
The emcee for this event is Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
About Scott Fisher, PhD:
Scott grew up in Kula, and at age 17 enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After his discharge, he studied at Colorado State University. Scott’s graduate work includes an M.A. in Peace Studies with a concentration in Native Hawaiian Strategies of Peacemaking and Reconciliation. His PhD. explored the dynamics of post-conflict recovery in a civil war on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, with a particular emphasis on how communities make wise decisions about conflicts over natural resources. Scott also holds a graduate certificate in ecological restoration from the University of Idaho.
Since 2003 Scott has worked for the Maui Coastal Land Trust, first as a project manager at the land trust’s 277-acre Waihe‘e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge and is now the Chief Conservation Officer for the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. In this capacity he has been involved in all aspects of ecological restoration work on land trust properties. In 2017 Scott began a three-year research fellowship in Paleoecology with the University of Leicester in England. With materials collected in Hawai`i, and with the assistance of the Quaternary Palaeoecology Working Group, his research was able to reconstruct the dominant floral species at Waihe`e over the past 12,000 years (since the beginning of the Holocene). More recently Scott has been consulting with the US Forest Service on a wetlands restoration project in western Madagascar.
About Hawaiian Islands Land Trust:
The Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT) is a state-wide land conservation organization dedicated to protecting the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi, while teaching future generations to do the same. HILT’s mission is to protect and steward the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi, and to perpetuate Hawaiian values by connecting people with ʻāina. Throughout ka pae`āina (the Hawaiian archipelago) HILT has protected over 20,000 acres through both fee ownership and conservation easements.
About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council:
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a community-based nonprofit organization celebrating 13 years of working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish throughout Maui County. Our work includes co-managing the Hui O Ka Wai Ola Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program in South and West Maui, efforts to reduce pollution in Mā‘alaea Bay (through erosion-control efforts in the Pohakea watershed and using oysters to filter sediment and pollutants from ocean water), coral reef research, visitor education programs and more. Learn more at www.mauireefs.org.

"Shark Research in Hawaii – With an Emphasis on Maui" Free Presentation by Kim Holland, PhD
2021-03-03 17:30 - 18:30 | HI
Recent shark attacks that occurred off the coast of Maui in November (2020), December (2020) and January (2021), as well as an incident in February (2021) which involved a large shark biting a kayak, have many ocean users concerned and curious about the sharks found in our nearshore waters.
The public is invited to learn more about our local sharks at a free Zoom presentation titled “Shark Research in Hawaii – With an Emphasis on Maui.” It wlll be presented by Dr. Kim Holland, Research Professor at Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, (HIMB) at University of Hawaii at Manoa and the founder of the Shark Research Group at HIMB.
This free talk is hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” and will take place on Wednesday, March 3 at 5:30 pm via Zoom. The presentation is free, but advance reservations are required. To reserve your spot, please visit https://bit.ly/SharkWebinar
For over 40 years Dr. Holland’s research has focused on the biology and movement patterns of large marine fishes such as tuna, billfishes and sharks. He has been a pioneer in helping to develop and deploy cutting edge tracking technologies that allow unprecedented insight into the movement patterns of marine fishes.
His presentation will include a brief overview of tracking technologies with an emphasis on what has been learned about the movements of sharks around Maui Nui.
“While many Maui residents and visitors are fearful about sharks, it’s important to remember that sharks play an important role in maintaining Hawaii’s ocean ecosystems,” said Anne Rillero, Communications, Community Outreach and Development Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “We’re looking forward to learning more about Dr. Holland’s findings and insights about Hawaii’s sharks.”
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” events are held monthly via Zoom. Support for these events is provided by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
The emcee for this event is Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program Island Environment 360 — Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
