Hawaii’s
Back yard
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Maalaea celebrates
Earth DayIt was the summer of 1969. Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson had been traveling throughout the country speaking about the importance of conservation. Evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, but this issue was not to be found on Washington's political agenda.
The American people were worried about the environment, but the leaders in Congress apparently were not.
That summer 35 years ago, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations had spread to U.S. college campuses, and Nelson had an idea: Why not organize a large grass-roots protest over what was happening to the environment? If the public's concerns could be voiced in a nationwide campaign, he believed politicians would listen and the environmental issue would finally get their attention.
Earth Day, Maui style
Place: The Harbor Shops at Maalaea, Maui. Park in the same lot as the Maui Ocean Center.Time: 12:30 to 4 p.m. today
Admission: Free. Bring three clean plastic milk jugs to the Ocean Science Discovery Center for recycling, and receive a free whale or dolphin poster from the Pacific Whale Foundation. PWF and participating Maalaea shops and restaurants will be offering discounts on food and merchandise, and the Maui Ocean Center will be distributing coupons worth $5 off general admission for adults and children at its booth at the Harbor Shops. The coupons are valid today only.
Phone: 808-249-8811; advance reservations are required for the free cruises.
E-mail: reservations@pacificwhale.org
Web site: www.pacificwhale.org
Nelson decided to give it a try. At a conference in Seattle in September 1969, he announced that in the coming spring there would be a grass-roots demonstration on behalf of the environment, and he encouraged everyone to participate.
Thus, Earth Day was born.
The media carried the story from coast to coast, and the response was overwhelming. Telegrams, letters and phone inquiries flooded Nelson's office. Citizens finally had a forum to express their fears about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes and air in their hometowns, and they did so without hesitation.
The inaugural Earth Day on April 22, 1970, drew 20 million participants and helped spawn a host of important conservation legislation, including the Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. American Heritage magazine called Earth Day "one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy."
This afternoon, the Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui Ocean Center, Ocean Science Discovery Center and the Harbor Shops at Maalaea will join forces to stage a memorable Earth Day Celebration. Featured will be live entertainment; environmental exhibits; a display of entries in PWF's 2004 Whale Photo Contest; crafts and face painting for the children; screenings of the documentary films "Blue Planet" and "Why Whales Do That!"; an open house at the Ocean Science Discovery Center; and free one-hour Ocean Discovery Cruises aboard PWF's Ocean Voyager and Ocean Spirit catamarans, which are both powered by biodiesel fuel made from recycled vegetable cooking oils from Maui restaurants.
"We've decided to celebrate Earth Day by inviting the public to experience the ocean with us, absolutely free," says Irene Bowie, managing director of PWF. "Back in the 1970s, I became involved with the Save the Whales movement and then with Pacific Whale Foundation. As time went on, I saw that in order to protect whales, we need to protect their habitat, the ocean. And since then, I've come to see that protecting the ocean is important for the overall health of our planet.
"Eighty percent of the oxygen on Earth is created by plankton in the ocean. The ocean also controls our wind and weather, and is an important source of food for much of our planet's population. That's why our Earth Day celebration focuses on the ocean, because Earth truly is an ocean planet."
ONE OF THE event's highlights will be the open house at PWF's Ocean Science Discovery Center, which opened last June. Located at the Harbor Shops of Maalaea overlooking Maalaea Bay, it offers hands-on science-based learning opportunities and educational programs focused on the sea to inspire greater interest in science and to promote ocean stewardship.
The facility includes an Interpretation Center presenting interactive hands-on displays about whales, dolphins, sea turtles, coral reefs and fish; two Discovery Labs; and a Resource Center allowing the public access to the latest research papers, publications, Internet sources and video and audiotapes about the marine environment.
The center also hosts free lectures, slide shows and video presentations; sponsors marine education opportunities for teachers; offers interactive programs for children; and serves as a meeting place for groups discussing ocean-related subjects. The center plays a key role in PWF's efforts to promote appreciation, understanding and protection of Earth's oceans by conducting responsible marine research and addressing ocean conservation issues through activism and education.
"That's what our Earth Day Celebration is all about," says Anne Rillero, PWF's director of marketing and public relations. "We want to inspire Hawaii's visitors and residents to help our planet and the oceans. We want to provide the spark that motivates them to care and to make a difference, because every effort, however small it may seem, matters."
Easy steps make big difference for nature
10 things you can do to help save ocean life:1. Take only pictures, leave only bubbles: Thousands of people enjoy Maui's underwater world every day. In order to preserve this natural treasure, do not take anything from the reef. Remember that every empty shell is valuable real estate for marine organisms.
2. Peas don't feed me: Feeding fish store-bought fish food and frozen peas disrupts the delicate balance of the reef and encourages unnatural behaviors.
3. Swim, don't stand: Corals are delicate living organisms made up of thousands of little animals called polyps. Refrain from standing on or kicking the reef as this can kill the coral polyps.
4. Ten feet to a turtle: Hawaiian green sea turtles are a common sight off Maui's coast. These shy, air-breathing reptiles are federally protected, and it is illegal to harass them. Enjoy the turtles from a distance of at least 10 feet.
5. Keep your butt off the beach: Make sure you dispose of all cigarette butts in a trash can, not on the beach. The filters are not biodegradable and are deadly to sea turtles and seabirds that mistake them for food.
6. Stow it, don't throw it: Participate in beach cleanups in your area. Some types of garbage, such as six-pack holders and discarded fishing lines, can be especially harmful as they often entangle marine creatures.
7. Choose your seafood wisely: Ask grocery stores and restaurants about the source of their seafood. Choose seafood that comes from abundant stocks and is caught using eco-friendly methods.
8. Reduce, reuse, recycle: If you're a visitor, encourage the condo or hotel where you're staying to provide recycling services or find out where the nearest recycling center is. Buy fewer disposable items and those with less packaging.
9. Buy local and organic: Support conservation-oriented businesses. Compost your yard waste and fruit/vegetable scraps. Choose organic produce; it tastes better and is better for you!
10. Be water wise: Fresh water is precious. Take shorter showers, turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, plant drought-resistant plant varieties, and water your lawn at dawn or dusk (evaporation is reduced when the sun isn't up).
SOURCE: COURTESY OF THE PACIFIC WHALE FOUNDATION
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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.
