While riding in the Wahikuli Watershed, have you wondered about the “Native Forest Restoration” banner?
At Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), we work with the community to restore the watershed. Right now, when it rains heavily, sediment from up mauka travels down degraded stream beds and old dirt roads into the ocean, where it smothers coral reefs. We’re reforesting the area and using native plants to trap sediment and keep it out of the ocean and off the reef. But we need your help.
How You Can Be a Responsible Rider
When riding, consider following these best practices to protect our reforestation site and help save coral reefs:
- Use alternate routes and avoid riding on the dirt roads near streams
- Avoid tampering with plants or science monitoring equipment
- Clean off your vehicle in between locations to avoid spreading invasive species
Some of the science monitoring equipment you may see on your rides includes:
- Sediment posts to measure the amount of sediment captured by our traps and native plants
- A weather station to monitor the rainfall and compare that with the amount of sediment running off the mauka
- A turbidity boom that measures the amount of sediment that runs off mauka over time
How Do We Reforest the Watershed?
Learn more about reforestation project by exploring this Story Map:
Interested in volunteering to help restore the watershed? Email Chelsea Eareckson to get involved.