Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii will hold its annual Earth Day Festival and beach cleanup at Waimanalo Beach Park on Sunday, with a focus on the large amount of debris that washed ashore due to heavy rains last weekend.
The cleanup is from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday; volunteers are asked to use Waimanalo Beach Park as a central meeting location. Check in time is 9 a.m. and cleanup will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., with music and games after noon.
Along with working at Waimanalo Beach Park, teams of volunteers will head out to Kaupo Beach Park, Sherwood, Bellows, Makapuu Beach Park and Makai Research Pier.
“Communities across our islands have been devastated as a result of this past weekend of flooding,” said Kahi Pacarro, executive director of Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. “Our coastlines are now covered in trash. It is urgent that we get your muscles on the beach to clean what was recently voted the No. 1 beach in America. Let’s show Waimanalo some love.”
Pacarro said as of Wednesday morning, rains had flushed tons of trash out into the ocean, which were brought back to shore by winds, including a large pile of nets, ropes and other plastics. He is expecting more than 1,000 volunteers to participate.
The non-profit has held an annual Earth Day cleanup for several years, and organizes cleanups around the state on a regular basis.
Sunday’s event also includes live music from The Urchinz and Sasha Mon, along with food, games and guest speakers. First Insurance Hawaii is sponsoring the event, and Vans is offering free T-shirts to the first 1,000 volunteers that show up.