Description
Direct removal of invasive species is a means to restoring the stream habitat and education and outreach is critical for stopping new instructions of aquatic invasive species into our streams.
'Iolani School has unified a consortium of educational institutions with the common interests of protecting the health of their watershed and educating students to become better stewards of their community. With the assistance of partners at the University of Hawai'i, the consortium has developed a stream outreach and watershed restoration project called Na Wai Ekolu. With a number of schools, educators, and students participating in the program, stream ecosystem restoration and enhancement are realistic goals.
Program Impact
Since the program was launched, more than 17,000 students and 1,900 educators from more than 50 educational institutions around the island of Oahu have participated in Na Wai Ekolu projects and curriculum. In that time, more than 1,600 pounds of invasive species were removed from the stream, and early observations indicate a rise in the number of native species in the stream as well. At the same time, students have been educated about the role they can play in the health of our streams.
About This Campaign
Your gift will support 'Iolani's continued leadership of Na Wai Ekolu, a consortium of K-12 private, public, and charter schools dedicated to restoring the health of the Ala Wai Watershed through educational programming and direct removal of invasive species from streams.
How Your Gift Will Help
Improvements in stream biological integrity will require consistent participation from educational and professional institutions. Your support of Na Wai Ekolu will allow 'Iolani to grow the consortium of partners participating in the program.
We believe these participants will have a stronger connection and responsibility to their place and a better understanding of watershed health. It is also our hope that continued support will enable other partners from outside the Ala Wai Watershed to start stream restoration in their own communities.