Upsetting news...land clearing

What is wrong with this picture? People are buying property up in Volcano from the Internet and hiring bulldozers to clear out their lots from pin to pin. These photos are just 2 examples of many. Kit homes are being quickly built and posted for sale. Lots around here can range from 1/4 to 1/2 acre and unfortunately, a typical 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house can run up to $300,000 or even more. People think they can buy the land for cheap and hire contractors and make money - what about the forest? birds? Native Hawaiians? This area is becoming gentrified. Hawaii is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and yet, there is not one law that helps control this destruction. Rowan is forming a committee to help bring this clear cutting issue to legislature and restrict land owners. She's had a lot of help from Casey being an environmental lawyer. There's so much to do!

Ka'u Conservation Project does 4th of July!

The 4th of July parade had a piece of us in it. We all dressed up in nets! Some of us rode on top and passed out candy. Next week is the last week to haul more nets from the beaches and transfer them where they'll be loaded into a container. The drive is long and rough, the work is hard but the experience is rewarding. We get all sorts of bugs that come out of the nets, cover up with sunscreen, hat, long pants, gloves, and a face mask and work in all sorts of weather. Sometimes, the cable would get stuck or we'd forget somethingl. It's also frustrating because more and more trash/nets keep coming. So many volunteers helped clean up these beaches between November and February and now it's back to where it was before. Education and Outreach is very important. We need to reach out and let people know that we cannot be dumping trash into our precious oceans. Unfortunately, most of the trash/nets are from other countries. Some agencies are working together to decide on a reasonable solution.