Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Johans Chavarro | 160416-N-IU636-191 PEARL HARBOR (April 16, 2016) Volunteers remove trash from the...... read more read more
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The event was held in the spirit of April’s commemorative Earth Day (April 22nd). Some of the work completed included: picking up trash and green waste, pulling or cutting non-native plants, as well as picking up their seeds.
“We’re trying to focus on a variety of things,” said Rebecca Smith, natural resource manager on JBPHH. “One, we’re trying to keep the planet clean, so we’re doing a rubbish clean up, but we’re also trying to educate and emphasize the removal of invasive plants, and species, off and around this area of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.”
While praised on the mainland for their ability to stabilize shorelines, provide fish habitats and clean water run off, Red Mangrove tree is highly invasive to the Hawaiian Islands, said Smith.
“It takes over the shoreline and out-competes all the native Hawaiian plants along the shore,” said Smith. “There are often very specific insects, birds and other animals that are specifically associated with a very specific plant. So as the mangrove takes over and eliminates those native plants here in Hawaii, it actually dramatically impacts the type of wildlife that is here.”
With the sun rising higher overhead, volunteers worked to remove Red Mangrove seedlings and their propagules - a structure that propagates a plant. Groups of volunteers also worked throughout the morning to uproot patches of Pickleweed, another invasive plant to Hawaii.
Additionally, in an effort to combat the invasive Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB), Smith and the volunteers also gathered and removed green waste such as: palm and other tree logs, palm fronds, and branches, common nesting grounds for the CRB.
“It’s an invasive beetle that destroys, and has the potential, to destroy all of our Coconut Palms on the island,” said Smith. “And although [Coconut Palms are] not native to the islands, it is an iconic species for Hawaii.”
For many of the volunteers, seeing the progress made throughout the morning spurred a sense of pride and satisfaction within themselves.
“I just came from Japan, so having a beach so close to you and seeing it being maintained is actually amazing, and it’s so important too, “ said Tech. Sgt. Jamie Carela, assigned to Pacific Air Forces. “I love the beach and my children love it, and I want to make it so my children and their children can come back and enjoy where we were stationed, because this is all just beautiful.”
“It makes me feel good being here,” said Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Renato Batallones Jr, assigned to JBPHH. “I didn’t expect this many people to come out, but seeing them all come out, clean up and work together has been really nice.”
Overlooking the Hawaiian mountainside view from the beach, Capt. Stanley Keeve, commander of JBPHH, personally thanked everyone for volunteering their time to keep the base, and Hawaii, clean.
“That’s an incredible, beautiful view and it doesn’t stay that way unless folks like yourselves and others are involved in keeping it that way,” said Keeve. “So I want to say thanks, and I want to say thank you on behalf of the base. The base definitely appreciates all of your hard work.”
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2016 19:12 |
| Story ID: | 195723 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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