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Educators can spread
word about fragility
of Northwest islands

THE ISSUE A group of teachers have returned from a trip to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands with new perspectives for education.

TEN teachers returned from an extraordinary summer cruise this week, one that didn't include mai tais, lounging on deck chairs or gourmet meals. Instead, their tour revealed an opulence of nature few people experience -- an up-close and personal view of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Their observations and the knowledge they have gained should serve them, their students and other educators well. Moreover, they can now attest to the importance of protecting the uninhabited islands and atolls that comprise an ecosystem rich with coral reefs, birds, plants, mammals and other marine life.

The teachers from private and public schools and other institutions themselves became students, learning so that they can spread what they've discovered in their various specialties.

Participants marveled at the beauty and at an abundance of wildlife no longer found in waters of the southern islands. Sandy Webb, a Mililani High School biology teacher and avid snorkeler, said there were species she'd never seen before and that familiar ones were "healthy, strapping specimens," unlike those she's encountered previously.

Teachers also saw an abundance of the harmful debris that plagues the islands' shores and surrounding waters, according to the Star-Bulletin's Diana Leone, who accompanied them. Thousands of tons of nets, rope, plastic and trash end up there when ocean currents pull junk from across the Pacific Rim.

It is clear that Hawaii wants its northern islands secured from further degradation.

The members of Hawaii's congressional delegation have sought federal funds to remove the rubbish and legislation to preserve the islands that serve as a nursery for fish and other sea life, and as a refuge for rare and endangered species.

Earlier this year, the state wisely moved to protect the islands and waters in its jurisdiction, barring commercial and recreational fishing and removal of natural resources.

Congressman Ed Case, who also got a first-hand look at the islands last week, recently proposed a preservation bill he believes will provide stronger shields than what the current federal laws could supply. His visit, he says, reinforced that desire.

The islands were declared a marine reserve by President Clinton in 2000, but are being considered for re-designation as a national sanctuary. That status, however, likely would allow continued fishing, which conflicts with recommendations from a citizens advisory group for stringent protections.

The teachers will play key roles in advancing conservation goals when they share their experiences with a younger generation. That would be the best lesson they could impart.

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