HONOKAA — For two years, a cohort of community members have helped ensure that Honokaa Park is kept free of toxic herbicides.
I “saw ladybugs, bees, birds as I worked and toddlers running barefoot in the grass,” said dedicated volunteer, Harriet Burkholder, about her recent work session. “Makes it worth the effort.”
Honokaa Park has become noticeably greener over the past two years and community members report they’ve noticed more birds, insects, and healthy trees than in years past. Parents are also able to relax as their children enjoy the playground or ball fields, knowing that they are not being exposed to recently sprayed herbicides.
“I appreciate the opportunity to help make a change,” said volunteer and mother Alissa Tripp. “I consider my time at the park a productive protest.”
As worldwide awareness grows about the dangerous effects of glyphosate (the primary constituent of Roundup) and its typical accompanying ingredients on human and animal health, the honeybee population and the ecological balance of our waterways and oceans, efforts like this one have become particularly critical.
It is essential that the maintenance of our roads, parks, and other state and county lands becomes informed by methods that are environmentally sound. Volunteers are critical for the ongoing success of the trial, and interested individuals are continuously sought.
You can join the efforts by contacting the Friends of Honokaa Park on Facebook or the group’s leader, Dr. Michelle Suber at Iris Integrative Health in Waimea or through GreenerHawaii.com.
Herbicide-free park maintenance in Honokaa, along with other parks around the island, began in the spring of 2017 when Suber and a group of Greener Hawaii volunteers forged a relationship with Hawaii County Parks and Recreation.
An agreement was made in which members of the community would maintain the areas of the park that were previously sprayed with Roundup and the county workers would conduct a trial, discontinuing the use of the product. The trial will continue as long as volunteers maintain their sections.
Because each section of the 24-acre park requires attention from one to three times per month, volunteers primarily work in their specific dedicated areas on their own schedule. Typical work includes weed whacking, hand weeding, laying down weed cloth, and maintaining the track edge. Volunteers work solo or in small groups anywhere from one to five hours per month, making sure their areas are neatly managed. The area’s park volunteers have shifted several times over the past two years, as county park supervisors have changed. Currently, the Friends of the Park maintain the previously sprayed upper section of the park, including the upper ball field, the boundaries of the track, and the mauka parking lots.
Near fall and spring equinox, the group enjoys a substantial work party and meal. Their most recent event was Saturday. All individuals interested in a safe and green park are encouraged to show up and lend a hand and join the next work party.
Please contact the Friends of Honokaa Park on Facebook or Dr. Michelle Suber at Imichellesuber@mac.com for more details.
