Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Laurie Dexter | 150718-N-GI544-082 PEARL HARBOR (July 18, 2015) Rebecca Smith, a natural resource...... read more read more
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PEARL HARBOR -- Navy Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Sailors, Native Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Boy Scouts and community members gathered at McGrew Point Housing pavilion to clean up the local ancient fishpond, Loko Pa’aiau, July 18.
The participants geared up with gloves and bags to clear out trash and mangrove seedlings growing in the area.
Locally, the mangrove tree is an invasive species, according to Rebecca Smith, the natural management specialist at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii.
“In other areas around the world, it’s an awesome plant to have around,” said Smith. “They filter and clean water and can provide a great habitat for nursery fish species. Here, it has taken over a lot of the shoreline and has outcompeted the native plants that would normally be found in the area.”
Smith said once the mangrove has been removed, it will provide an opportunity for the existing seed bank of native plants to germinate and regrow in the area.
The restoration project, which has been ongoing for the past six months, has benefited the local community, according to Jeff Pantaleo, archeologist at NAVFAC.
“This project is kind of doing a whole community restoration,” said Pantaleo. “The houses along the edge here were flooded because of the vegetation. Now that it’s all opened up, people are not having floods in their back yards.”
According to Chief (Sel) Yeoman Victor Langston, assigned to United States Pacific Command, the project provided an educational experience for him.
“Everything is a melting pot,” said Langston. “I got to learn about the area, the culture and about what it was before our time here. It was great working alongside the natives who have been here, who know the history of this pond, and being able to give back and help preserve it.”
The volunteers removed approximately 80 bags of mangrove seedlings and 25 bags of garbage, according to Pantaleo.
The restoration process started last year. It took six months to complete the first phase of the project, which was to clear the mangrove trees obstructing the pond. The long-term goal is to restore the pond to its original function.
Fishponds in early Hawaiian history were used to farm fish, providing food for the surrounding communities. There were originally 22 fishponds in Pearl Harbor, now only three remain. Of the three, the fishpond at McGrew Point was the most accessible and in the best condition.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2015 15:25 |
| Story ID: | 170607 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 314 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sailors participate in Hawaiian fishpond restoration, by PO2 Laurie Dexter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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