Land management plays an important role in Hawaiian culture, as well as the protection of nearby coral reefs. On the island of Maui, Noor, a local Restoration Biologist, and Poema, a Hawaiian Cultural and Plant Specialist, describe the significance of caring for the land in Hawai‘i. Traditionally in Hawaiian culture, each person has a kuleana… Continue Reading →
From raging wildfires to melting glaciers to coral bleaching—it is clear that there is pressing urgency to face the planet’s climate and ecological emergency. After postponing last year’s event due to COVID-19, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) decided to hold its quadrennial World Conservation Congress from September 3 to 11, 2021 and commit to actions that… Continue Reading →
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is honored to join the Maui Nui Makai Network—a network of community groups from across Maui Nui that protect and care for marine and coastal ecosystems. The network was established in 2013 when community organizations decided they would be stronger working together than separately. Network members meet regularly to learn… Continue Reading →
Born in the Philippines and long-time resident of Hawai‘i, Manuel Mejia, our Hawai‘i Regional Program Director, harvests a deep passion for coral reefs and our need to protect them. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with him and dive in to this passion a little more. Q: Where does your passion for the… Continue Reading →
We’re thrilled to be one of four nonprofits included in Hawaiian Electric Industries’s (HEI) ongoing commitment to protecting and preserving Hawai‘i’s natural environment. This new partnership will allow us to address our highest priority needs in our Hawai‘i program over the next year. This includes working with community volunteers to restore Maui’s steep slopes to… Continue Reading →
The Hawai‘i County Council on March 3 voted to approve the allocation of $1.8 million to address ocean sewage pollution in Puakō, Hawai‘i. The Puakō coastline is one of 14 priority sites that have been identified in Hawai‘i as areas to be transitioned off of cesspools. Across the state, an estimated 88,000 cesspools release 53… Continue Reading →
Over 20 tons of sediment has been captured in the mountains above Lahaina, the result of a collaborative restoration project led by the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL). West Maui is laden with historic sugarcane and pineapple plantations that are now out-of-use. During heavy rain events, the potentially contaminated soil from these degraded landscapes travels down… Continue Reading →
Last month, we were honored to be selected by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) as a recipient of the Coral Reef Conservation Fund grant, our second in as many years. The grant supports our restoration projects in West Maui, Hawai‘i where we’re planting native plants along stream banks and degraded agricultural lands to… Continue Reading →
It’s 5:30 a.m. on a Wednesday, and Erica Perez leaves her house in Hilo to start the slow, dark, one-and-a-half hour drive to the South Kohala coast on the other side of Hawai‘i’s Big Island. She arrives at the first site at 7:00 a.m., where she meets long-time community volunteer Keith Neal. They put their… Continue Reading →