KOHALA COAST — Twenty-one Hawaii Preparatory Academy seniors, along with their teachers, Hapuna Beach State Park staff and Keep Puako Beautiful volunteers, participated in a beach cleanup at the Hapuna Beach State Recreational area last Tuesday.
The group covered two miles that included the Aha Kahakai National Historic Trail from north of the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, access trails, Hapuna Beach Park, Hapuna Point Bluffs and connector trails.
The volunteers collected 1,756 pieces of trash with a total weight of 187.25 pounds, of which 902 pieces were plastic. Items for waste diversion and recycling included 288 cigarette filters — which will be upscaled into consumer products by TerraCycle — and 40 pounds of HI-5 containers.
Cynthia Ho, Keep Puako Beautiful’s site coordinator for Keep Hawaii Beautiful and Get the Drift &Bag It, and Willie Quayle, HPA’s Upper School garden coordinator, organized the cleanup.
“I really appreciate the HPA students and teachers volunteering their time for our beach cleanups,” said Ho. Their positive marine conservation actions are enhancing the ocean environment and education in West Hawaii.”