2020, VOL 1: January - February

Aloha everyone, SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Thank you all for coming to our 30th Anniversary celebration! It was 2020 Cleanups wonderful to see so many long-time members and past board Saturday, March 7 members, and a privilege to welcome new members to the Friends. Saturday, June 6 Saturday, September 5 I would like to thank Congressman Case, Governor Ige, Representative Saturday, December 5 Ward and the State House of Representatives, and FoHB Board Meetings Councilmember Waters and the City Council for recognizing rd the Friendsʻ successful advocacy on behalf of Hanauma Bay for the last Every 3 Thursday, Hanauma Bay Theater @ 5 pm 30 years. We have been privileged to work cooperatively at City, State and Federal levels to protect, preserve and restore Hanauma Bay, and Hanauma Talks Seminar Hosted by the look forward to continuing these relationships. Hanauma Bay Education Program Every Thursday I would also like to thank Stuart Coleman for honoring us as our guest 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm speaker, and for donating some of his award-winning books to our Hanauma Bay Visitor Center membership. We look forward to hearing more from Stuart about his For a listing of scheduled seminars, new non-profit WAI: Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations. please check http://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/hanauma- A very special thanks goes to the Friends who tirelessly organized and talks-seminar-and-hbep-event-calendar/ ran the event: Past presentations can be viewed at Anke Roberts, Michael Feeley, Kathi Saks, and Leslie Briggs. In addition www.youtube.com/hanaumatalks to serving as our event coordinator, Anke designed the 30th anniversary T-shirts; made the easels and displays; and created all of the centerpieces. Michael returned as a great emcee, Kathi’s genius and hard work provided the wonderful meal, and Leslie helped with everything! You made our 30th Anniversary a wonderful celebration! In closing, I would like to share part of Congressman Caseʻs message to us: “Mahalo nui loa for all your efforts over the past three decades. I look forward to continuing to follow in the footsteps of the Friends of Hanauma Bay in your quest to make our Hawaii and World a better place for generations ro come.” A hui ho kākou, Lisa Bishop President [email protected] [email protected]

FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 1 2020 Annual Membership Meeting and Dinner On February 17, 2020 we celebrated our 30 year anniversary at the Annual Membership Meeting. We had a great turnout again, and hope everybody enjoyed the company, the good food, and our guest speaker Stuart Coleman. An author and environmentalist, Stuart is starting a new venture called WAI: Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations (www.WaiCleanWater.org). For more information, here is a great article to read: https://cleantechnica.com/2020/02/08/53-million-gallons- wastewater-flushes-daily-into-hawaiis-waters-how-one-local-non-profit-is-working-to-fix/ We had a video prepared to play during the meeting, however technology did not cooperate. But you can watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CbmuMNyRt0U For more event pictures, please go to https://www.facebook.com/pg/hanauma/photos/

Guest speaker Stuart Coleman Our president Lisa Bishop with House Representative Gene Ward who presented to us a GOV proclamation, and a letter from the HI House of Representatives recognizing the 30th Anniversary of the Friends of Hanauma Bay From left to right: Natalie Iwasa (Hawaii Kai Neighborhood board), Councilmember Tommy Waters, retired Senator Will Espero, Ken Staples (Ocean Defender Alliance), Lisa Bishop (President of the Friends of Hanauma Bay) and Representative Gene Ward

Regular morning swimmers at the Bay: Shelley Members of the Kaiser High School Wipeout White, Deborah Wallace, David Ostler, Larry Crew setting up information displays Winnik, Ellen Ostler and Tom Wallace

Emce Mike Feeley Our president Lisa Bishop with kicking off the Councilmember Tommy Waters presenting event, while a letter from the City & County of Honolulu everybody is honoring and recognizing the Friends of wondering what Hanauma Bay for ongoing efforts to protect, delicious food Chef preserve and restore Hanauma Bay Kathi has prepared again

FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 2 Highlight of Achievements  2018: Worked with Congresswoman Tulsi Preparing for our 30th anniversary celebration was a Gabbard to request an EPA Ecological Risk good time to take stock and look back at what The Assessment of Hanauma Bayʻs critical levels of toxic Friends of Hanauma Bay have achieved over the sunscreen pollution years. These are just some highlights, as you can see  2019: One of three non-profits recognized at we have become much more involved in the inaugural World Reef Day legislative process in the past few years, and have  2019: Ensured more vigilant monitoring of visitor some great successes to report. behavior when Monk Seals are present  2019: Supported management in piloting a feral Ongoing Activities: cat relocation program  Improving operations and maintenance of  2019: Supported scientific studies: NOAA Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve water quality, Hawaii beach sand pollution (Citizen  Supporting the Hanauma Bay Education Program Science) since its beginning in 1990  2020: Congressman Ed Case entered FOHB  Conducting quarterly cleanups of Hanauma Bay testimony into the US Congressional Record in Nature Preserve since 1991 support of HR 1834 that would reduce sunscreen  Ensuring the Hanauma Bay Fund is properly pollution in Hanauma Bay managed and audited in accordance with governing  FOHB has earned recognition for its commitment statutes and repatriating >$1.25M to the Fund to protecting, preserving and restoring Hanauma Bay  Ensuring annual Carrying Capacity Studies are from President Barack Obama, Governor David Ige, conducted the Hawaii State Legislature, Honolulu’s Mayor and  Participating in annual Earth Day events: Waikīkī City Council, the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board, Aquarium Mauka to Makai, and Kaiser High School and the League of Women Voters. Earthfest

 Ensuring removal of decades long First Hanauma Bay is the iconic symbol of Hawaii around Amendment permit violators, removal of Hanauma the world. With the ongoing support of our Bay from a City Ordinance allowing private dedicated membership and Board of Directors, we sponsorship will continue to protect, preserve and restore Recent Achievements Hanauma Bay for the next 30 years.  2016: Prevented a commercial company from taking over the education and admission process  2017: Organized and hosted the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Hanauma Bay’s designation as Hawaii’s first Marine Life Conservation District  2017: Established Scholarship Program to recognize seniors at Henry J. Kaiser High School who measurably contribute to FOHB’s mission. $20,500 awarded since inception  2017: Landmark study of sunscreen pollution in Hanauma Bay which was instrumental in Hawaii’s 2018 enactment of the world’s first law banning the sale of reef-toxic chemical sunscreens  2017: Participated in award-winning documentary “Reefs at Risk”

FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 3 2019 Quarterly Cleanups At the end of each cleanup we ask volunteers to Do you ever wonder how much trash and marine complete data sheets to record what items they debris gets removed over time from Hanauma Bay? collected and in what amounts. The data sheets then Our quarterly cleanups are not the only effort to get added up and reported online to the keep Hanauma Bay clean – swimmers regularly pick International Coastal Cleanup data collected by the up floating debris and bring it back to shore, the Ocean Conservancy: Hanauma Bay Education Program hosts school https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free- groups to learn about the dangers of marine debris seas/international-coastal-cleanup/ and conduct beach cleanups with these groups. But since 1991 The Friends of Hanauma Bay have been conducting quarterly cleanups and we are always thrilled with the support we get from the community as well as active military stationed here on Oahu.

If you are curious, you can check out reports for any region, or use the map to drill down to Hanauma Bay on https://www.coastalcleanupdata.org/

Here are the top items reported for 2019:

In 2019 we had several groups of volunteers join us Food Wrappers / Containers 2,667 more than once to help with our cleanups, including Cigarettes / Cigarette Filters 2,109 Canon, Hawaii Baptist Academy, Pauahi Keiki Caps & Lids 1,694 Scholars at Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Chinese Plastic Bags 900 Baptist Church, chapters of the Lions Club and Navy Takeout Containers 873 groups. In total, we registered 341 volunteers, in Plastic Straws / Stirrers / Utensils 701 addition to the regular 8 members of the Friends of Other Plastic / Foam Packaging 607 Hanauma Bay who help coordinate the event. Bottles & cans 484 Fishing nets & pieces 363 Fishing Buoys, Pots & Traps 154 Rope (1 yd/m = 1 piece) 131 Fishing Line (1 yd/m = 1 piece) 67

And of course, countless pieces of micro-debris:

Tiny Trash - Glass 1,765 Tiny Trash - Foam 2,620 Tiny Trash - Plastic 18,595 We are also proud of our partnership with the Kaiser Mahalo nui loa to all the groups and community High School Wipeout Crew who help to set up and volunteers who come out each quarter to help and organize the event. Per event an average of 12 support us. We could not do it without you! students join our cleanups. FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 4 SPECIAL FEATURE: 2019 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS Knowledge and Leadership at Kaiser High School and runs In 2017 the Friends of Hanauma Bay Board of Directors the international travel program for the International launched the Scholarship Fund to award annual Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Working alongside the scholarships to the “Wipeout Crew” of Henry J. Kaiser wonderful students of the Wipeout Crew since 2014 has High School. In 2019 the scholarships were awarded to been as much of an inspiration for him as he hopes it has three Kaiser High School graduates on the inaugural been for his students. The variety of interests the World Reef Day on June 1. We want to thank all the students bring to the table as well as the diversity of donors who contributed to the scholarship fund and approaches to learning and working towards finding made this our second year to successfully award solutions for problems our world faces keeps the Wipeout scholarships to local students. We want to share with you Crew and Mr. Balazs on their toes. what earned these three outstanding students their The Kaiser High School Wipeout Crew awards, and what future path they have chosen. We also hope that the achievements of these young The Wipeout Crew is a student-run environmental club conservationists will inspire future donations, so the established in 2014 at Kaiser High School. It began with students who shared their love for the ocean, starting Friends of Hanauma Bay can continue to award with beach cleanups. It quickly evolved into a more scholarships to other up and coming conservationists. environmentally-conscious crew that organized student- led activities and initiatives, and entered into partnerships with environmental organizations such as the Friends of Hanauma Bay. Their civic involvement does not only include spreading awareness of sustainability issues, but extends to environmental issues being addressed at the Capitol, where students learn how to submit testimony and are given the opportunity to testify in person. One such successful activity was the 2018 legislative session that successfully passed the world’s first ban on reef-toxic sunscreens. Other examples include the plastic bag ban, and testifying to support a bill to ban polystyrene foam 2018 Scholarship recipients Azita Ganjali and Shannon Murphy containers. with Mr Paul Balazs and Governor David Ige at the 2018 signing of Bill 2571 You can contribute to our 2020 scholarship fund in three different ways (all donations are tax-deductible):

1. Through our Go Fund Me account: https://www.gofundme.com/friends-of-hanauma-bay- scholarships

2. Through the Donate page on our website: http://www.friendsofhanaumabay.org/donations/

3. By mailing a check to FOHB noting it is for the Scholarship Program: Wipeout Crew hosting an education session on marine debris at Elementary School in March 2019. PO Box 25761 Honolulu, HI 96825-0761 The Wipeout Crew also hosts events with other schools to We also want to highlight the efforts of Mr. Paul Balazs, educate students of all grade levels on environmental who is a teacher and mentor at Kaiser High School and issues and small steps each person can take to reduce has been the faculty advisor to the Wipeout Crew since its their environmental footprint. inception. Mr. Balazs was born and raised in Maunalua and received his education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He currently teaches English, Theory of FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 5 For 5 years running the Wipeout Crew have hosted an Conrad Morgan – Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA Earth Fest at Kaiser High School to celebrate Earth Day, Conrad loves to bodysurf, bodyboard, dive, and take and opened this event to the community. pictures. Photography has been a serious hobby for the past 5 years, and Conrad received two second place For more information on the Wipeout Crew, there is a awards in the Reflections Art Contest hosted by the PTSA great short video available on YouTube: at Kaiser High School. He hopes to continue his https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbphbyZsUc or involvement with environmental organizations such as download their “Be The Change” brochure: Surfrider or Sustainable Coastlines, and also hopes that https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LPnUlRngiom3PmK_Tys professionally he can work in an advisory role to promote C3WdqivSIeWEF/view sustainability and environmental protection.

Conrad Morgan, Kilala Hall and Lei Shimabukuro As president of the Wipeout Crew in his senior year, All three students have been active members of the Conrad helped to plan beach cleanups and community Wipeout Crew and have participated in most of the events, attended every quarterly cleanup hosted by the quarterly cleanups hosted by the Friends of Hanauma Bay Friends of Hanauma Bay, coordinated the attendance of during their junior and senior year. They helped set up other Wipeout Crew members, and joined the Friends in the events, took registrations, helped with the actual 2018 and 2019 for the Mauka to Makai Earth Day event at cleanup, and educated participants on reef safe the Waikiki Aquarium, which welcomes several thousand sunscreens. In addition, they joined us for the Waikiki visitors to their annual event. Conrad plans to set up an Aquarium’s annual Mauka to Makai Earth Day environmental and beach cleanup group at Westmont environmental exposition, where they had their own table College similar to the Wipeout Crew. set up to educate visitors about toxic chemicals in Conrad’s Scholarship Project sunscreens, talk about reef-safe alternatives and hand out Conrad wanted to create something that would last free reef safe sunscreen samples (photo). It was an honor beyond his graduation from Kaiser High School, directly for us to watch these students handle questions, talk help with beach cleanups, and re-use materials that intelligently about environmental impacts of our choices would otherwise be thrown away. When he found out that there were old PVC pipes that Kaiser High School had no more use for, he decided to turn them into sand sifters that could be used to sift micro plastics from beach sand. Conrad turned the actual production of the sand sifters into a community and education event – he invited friends and family, fellow students and members of his Boy Scout Troop, a total of 30 people willing to help.

Shannon Murphy, Lei Shimabukuro, Kilala Hall and Conrad Morgan at the 2019 Mauka to Makai Event in cosmetics, and generate genuine interest in visitors and kama’aina alike. Seeing them in action was a great reminder that the future of our home lies in the hands of young people like them, and we need more of this caliber!

FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 6 Conrad set up a “production line” and assigned small Kilala and Lei’s groups to specific tasks to cut the pipe, smooth the edges, Scholarship Project connect the pipes with elbow connectors, cut wire screen Kilala and Lei joined forces and zip tie the screens to each pipe frame. The new sand for their scholarship sifters were put to the test at Kalama Beach Park in Kailua project – they wanted to and worked extremely well! Conrad donated the 30 do something large and completed sand sifters to the Wipeout Crew, where they visible, appealing to the have already been used in other beach cleanups, eyes, educational and including those at Hanauma Bay. engaging for the Kilala Hall – Reed College, Portland, OR community. They wanted Anthropology Environmental Studies Major to make use of the plastics and micro plastics they had Kilala grew up loving the environment and seeing the collected and saved at a number of beach cleanups, while beauties of nature through camping and exploring the sharing some of the shocking facts they had learned outdoors. After moving to Hawaii, her passion for during their beach cleanups and while advocating with preserving the environment grew strong as she saw the our lawmakers to enact environmental protection laws. devastating amount of debris that was scattered along The result was two large murals they called “Be The Hawaii’s shores. Since her sophomore year, she strives to Change”. The murals face each other and allow people to make the ocean and island ecosystem healthier and walk through to “catch our wave”. Each board shows cleaner than how she found in 3 years ago. She has facts about plastics and sunscreen chemicals, as well as advocated for legislation that will protect Hawaii’s coral student art created by Mr. Balazs’ Sophomore class using reefs from coral bleaching and microplastic pollution. She microplastics. The outside of the boards pose questions hopes to further her environmental work in Portland, to engage the community and encourage people to write Oregon and learn more on how inland communities can their pledges for being more sustainable, or just to affect the ocean’s health and how to minimize that express their own thoughts why conservation efforts are impact as well as how to protect inland water sources important. The “Be The Change” boards were displayed from pollution. at the Kaiser High School Earth Fest in April 2019 and got a lot of attention from event visitors, inviting them to get Lei Shimabukuro – University of Hawaii involved in striving towards a more eco-friendly world. Environmental Studies Lei joined the Wipeout Crew initially because she is an avid surfer and because of her love for the ocean. This led to her wanting to protect what she loves, hoping to be a part of the sustainability movement and to spread awareness of climate change. She has begun working with a new nonprofit organization called Malama Our Oceans, with a goal to help business owners and consumers in her community to switch to more eco friendly products and practices.

Lei hopes to travel and learn how environmental issues are being addressed across the globe and by different cultures. She is hoping to learn more about sustainability. Eventually she would like to own and run a sustainable business. Lei hopes to create a positive impact, protecting our beautiful home, and teaching others to do so.

FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 7 Update from our Lifeguards Uncommon By Lt. Ron Bregman Sightings In the past few months Coastal Manta Rays have frequented Hanauma Bay. And they did not just stay in deeper waters near the mouth of the Bay, they were spotted near the backside of the reef as well! The Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division is nearing the completion of a one-year pilot program For a video, check out this post: at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. The program https://www.facebook.com/anke.roberts.5/videos/vb.1000010 provides dawn to dusk (sunrise to sunset) lifeguard 12485274/2778599072183815/ services at one of the busiest beaches in Hawaii. It also utilizes a four-day workweek, 10-hour workday Photos by Deborah scheduling format for the first time in a beach Wallace lifeguard operational environment on Oahu. The program is under consideration as a proof of concept model for future expansion of beach lifeguard services island-wide in the near future. 2020 Anniversary T-Shirts One of the distinct changes apparent at Hanauma If you have not yet received your 2020 membership Bay, since the pilot program began, has been a T-shirt, or if you would like to get additional T-shirts stabilization of the workforce. Lifeguards are for a $20 donation, please let us know. If you are assigned on a full-time basis, as well as the unable to pick up your T-Shirt at Hanauma Bay, we supervisors (lieutenants). This results in a higher ask that you please pay the shipping cost of $5. level of familiarity of the area, due to constant and consistent exposure of the various hazards and risk We have light-weight ladies t-shirts in Small, Medium factors present specifically to Hanauma Bay. and Large (some Ladies tank tops also available), Lieutenants are expected to remain in a supervisory heavy-weight Youth T-Shirts in XS and Large, and capacity on-site at all times, unless they are Men’s classic heavy-weight T-shirts in Small, responding to ocean-related emergencies in adjacent Medium, Large and Extra Large. areas. Supervisors stationed at Hanauma Bay responded to 23 emergency calls outside of their primary area of Limited responsibility in 2019. Beach lifeguards documented number of hundreds of rescues throughout the year and ladies shirts countless more preventions utilizing state-of-the-art solar-powered public address systems installed by Lifeguard Captain Charles Oliveri. The four lifeguard towers are currently staffed by eleven water safety Classic T officers on a daily basis. Two supervisors are on duty for men every day. Lifeguards look forward to future plans of an on-site office facility with restrooms, showers and a paved parking area.

FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 8 In The News 2020 Bills Supported by the Friends of Hanauma Bay 2020 Sunscreen Ban at Hanauma Bay is not the only iconic tourist destination in Hawaii working on banning sunscreens At the Annual Membership Meeting on February 17, with reef harming ingredients. In fact, there is one 2020, Lisa talked about a number of bills we support place that has made a great leap in 2020 to ban in the 2020 legislative session. If you have a passion sunscreens containing chemicals – Kealakekua Bay around any of these, please take a moment to on the Big Island. provide testimony in support at https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/ We are heavily involved in two bills around further tightening local bans on sunscreens containing toxic ingredients:

 Rep Ward HB2248: Ensuring only FDA-approved safe and effective sunscreen is sold in HI

Kealakekua Bay, Photo Credit; DLNR  Sen Gabbard SB2778: Ensuring only FDA- approved safe and effective sunscreen is sold in HI While not a Marine Life Conservation District, the State Parks Division of DLNR has responded to concerns from Other bills we are supporting are: businesses who want to conserve Kealakekua’s corals and banned the use of all chemical sunscreens in  HB2739: Establishment of Ka Iwi Coast State Kealakekua Bay starting January 2020. We thank the Park State Parks Division and businesses who proposed this  HB1847: Herbivore Protection - Requires DLNR to ban, and hope that more locations around Hawaii, adopt rules to protect herbivorous fish in all state including Hanauma Bay, will soon follow! waters.

For more information:  HB2439: Research and development of https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/01/03/chemical- specialized equipment for effectively and sunscreens-restricted-big-island-park-year-ahead-statewide-ban/ efficiently removing plastic marine debris from More About Reef-Safe Sunscreens shores and beaches. As part of our 30th Anniversary celebration, we were honored that Raw Elements USA  HB2036: Expansion of the DLNR Hawaii Coral donated mineral sunscreen to our members! Restoration Nursery, including improvements to We thank Raw Elements for their generous the sea urchin hatchery. donation, and for allowing us to present our  SB2717: Shark Protection - Establishes an offense 2019 Scholarships at the inaugural World Reef of knowingly capturing, possessing, abusing, Day. Raw Elements founded World Reef Day, entangling, or killing a shark in state marine and has successfully installed free reef-safe sunscreen waters. dispensers at the Waikiki Aquarium and at several Waikiki beach locations. We hope to see free  SB2028: Provide Reef Safe Sunscreen Dispensers dispensers at Hanauma Bay as part of a World Reef at different places (including Hanauma Bay) 2020 dispenser pilot program. https://www.rawelementsusa.com/

FOHB Newsletter 2020 VOL 1 Page 9 2020 FOHB Board What’s Next For This Newsletter You may have noticed a slightly changed format for this first edition of Lisa Bishop, President Sid McWhirter, Vice President our 2020 newsletter. We really welcome your feedback, and we hope Leslie Briggs, Secretary / Treasurer to bring you a number of new items in future newsletters. Steve Oppenheimer Ron Bregman We want to hear from you! We would like to feature a Letters to the Dick Baker, Emeritus Editor section, so if there is anything on your mind you would like to share with your fellow members, please send us an email at Contact Details [email protected]. For General Information [email protected] Another item that may be of interest to our members is a Spotlight Lisa feature on fellow members. So if you know that special someone who [email protected] has gone above and beyond in serving Hanauma Bay or the Sid community, please let us know and we will reach out to that person [email protected] for a future newsletter article. Leslie Any other requests, just let us know! We want to make this [email protected] [email protected] newsletter interesting and informative for all our members.

Winter is a great time to capture the sunrise at the center of Hanauma Bay Photo Credit: Anke Roberts CONTACT US For newsletter feedback, comments, suggestions or contributions [email protected] For general information, comments or suggestions [email protected] Web site www.friendsofhanaumabay.org Facebook www.facebook.com/hanauma

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