Youths Pay Attention To Retention At Ahuimanu

Carol Chang
Wednesday - May 18, 2011
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Neighborhood volunteers dig in to help maintain and landscape near the Ahuimanu water retention basin in an effort to reduce erosion as part of a pollution prevention project sponsored by the city. Photo from Anne Miller.

About 50 youths and adults have proved that not everyone flocks to a school or park for beautification day. On a Saturday in March the group landscaped an area by the access gate to the Ahuimanu Retention Basin at Hio Place.

Native ground cover went into the prepared soil, and warning stencils (“Dump No Waste”) went onto the nearby storm drain covers. The idea was to create a green buffer that would encourage rainwater to soak into the ground and minimize nutrient and sediment runoff into Kahaluu Stream.

The Ahuimanu Catchment Basin Adopt-A-Stream project was sponsored by city Environmental Services Department and drew helping hands (age 13 and older) from King Intermediate and Manuia soccer team as well as city staff from HPD, Facility Maintenance and Environmental Services.


“They amended the soil, planted naupaka, ukiuki, pohinahina and akuliuki,” said Anne Miller, a neighbor who coordinated the volunteers with David Johnson. “And they mulched and stenciled-storm drains.” This kind of service learning, she explained, leads to better behavior on and off campus, and encourages youths to spread the word about pollution prevention.

Anne Miller briefs volunteers on tasks for the daylong effort. Photo by Leah Friel, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Ahuimanu has one of highest precipitation levels on the island, and the heavily urbanized Kahaluu Stream discharges directly into Kaneohe Bay, so residents must be careful what they allow to get washed down the street from their homes.

Another Adopt-A-Stream day is scheduled for Oct. 1 at the same retention basin.


For more on the city’s mini cleanups and pollution prevention projects, call Iwalani Sato (Honolulu Storm Water Community Relations) at 780-8872 or Miller at 239-2036.

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