OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa (OKR) + Hawaii Vacation Condos by OUTRIGGER
The Big Island OUTRIGGER ‘Ohana Team-Up with Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center’s ReefTeach Crew
BY FRANCINE MOLINA – On June 28, 2024, in celebration of OUTRIGGER Zone Day and World Ocean Month, our Hawai’i Vacation Condos ‘ohana – Carol Hanna, Cynde Vannatta and Kris Nickelsen – joined OKR and the ReefTeach ‘ohana to honor OZONE Day.
OUTRIGGER is the only repeat organization to regularly attend ReefTeach. We started our day sharing special stories that connect us to this place, and enjoyed the rest of the day educating our many visitors on reef safe practices for entering our native habitats.
The ReefTeach Program at Kahalu‘u Bay aims to educate visitors and residents alike on how to avoid damaging corals and take care of honu (green sea turtles) and reef animals. ReefTeach is a volunteer-powered program initiated in 2000 by UH Sea Grant for West Hawaiʻi. In 2006 UH Sea Grant was joined by another strong partner, The Kohala Center, and ReefTeach has continued to expand into a visible, robust, and effective reef protection program.
It was amazing to see all the hard work pay off. Normally the coral spawns only once per year. This year we were lucky to have 2 spawning’s, one in April and another in May. Many return visitors noticed the abundance in coral in this area, thanks to the efforts of the ReefTeach volunteers.
OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort (MAM)
MAM Team takes Field Trip to Teach Kids about Microplastics
SANYA SHANTANU SHETE – As part of our monthly community engagement commitment, we visited ADh. Atoll Education Centre in Mahibadhoo for World Ocea Month. Mahibadhoo is the capital island of the South Ari Atoll, with the largest school in our area.
We took the opportunity to educate sixth grade students on the dangers of microplastics to marine wildlife and ourselves. We generated awareness of the prevalence of plastic in our daily lives and highlighted how students can make a lasting positive impact for our ocean.
As these students are not engaged in a regular marine biology curriculum, it’s important to instill a sense of ocean stewardship using fun and creative activities, so we hosted a number of activities including:
1. A game focused on identifying species by their common and scientific name with manta ray trophies for the winning teams
2. A presentation on plastics, a key threat to our marine environment, highlighting ecological processes that lead to accumulation of plastics
3. A final activity of recycling plastic bottles into planters to be placed around the school
4. A trash-themed cake, drinks and snacks which the kids absolutely loved!
