What
We are replanting native plants all over Maui. To begin, we will volunteer and plant trees at Pohakuokala Gulch. Eventually, we hope to plant different native species all over Maui, including coastal regions. In those coastal regions we would plant grasses like Pili, Kāwelu, ‘Uki ‘uki; ground coverings like ‘Ilima, Pā‘ū o Hi‘iaka; shrubs like A‘ali‘i, Ma‘o, Āweoweo, ‘Ūlei; and trees like Koai‘a, Wili wili, Milo, Kamani. These types of plants thrive in hot barren lands that don't get a lot of rain.
Where
To begin, we will volunteer at Pohakuokala Gulch, but we eventually hope to volunteer all over Maui. Mainly including mid slope regions because typically there aren´t any people living there and they´re normally abandoned, and it is an important place to hit because of the amount of loose dirt which is a breeding spot for erosion.
When
We've contacted a volunteer organization, and have yet to hear back on dates, but we'll likely be able to plant in the next month. Next year, we're taking a community service class, and will continue our volunteer work throughout the semester with our class if possible.
How
We've reached out to a volunteer organization, and we'll likely volunteer in the next year. We are still figuring out transportation and covid safety as well. However we may not continue this project this year because covid is preventing us. However, next year, in our community service class, we hope to continue this project.
Cost
Our first volunteer event won't cost money (besides the gas lost driving to and fro the site), but when we (hopefully) bring the project into our community service, we will need transportation, food, and water for a large group of students. We're still unsure of how much that will cost because we don't know how many events we'll do, how many people will volunteer, and if they are able to bring their own food and water. It's important that we use volunteers and work with organizations that can provide resources to keep costs low. There are other hidden costs too; marketing, employee insurance, vehicle rentals. This is why it is so imperative that volunteers are utilized. They help keep the costs significantly lower, which means more can be accomplished! However price point varies on the place we plan to volunteer. For example, if we were to plant at Pohakuoloa Gulch we would need Koa trees which normally cost about $8 per sapling. We have a detailed price point for mid slope regions provided to us by Larissa Treese. You can find this pricing in the "Interviews with Experts" section of our website.
CO2
Koa plants can sequester 1 ton on of Co2 in a five year span, and these trees can live for decades. (Eagle, 2019) Koa trees are some of the main trees that we'll be planting. Eventually, we hope to plant along Maui's coast; coastal marine systems sequester up to 50% more Co2 than terrestrial forest. Not all coastal ecosystems sequester a lot of Co2, but in general, coastal marine systems sequester a large amount of Co2. We have a goal to plant at least 5 native plants per person once we´re able to volunteer. This will help sequester carbon which would benefit Maui, combating climate change, and protecting our coral reef.
Benefits
Compared to the price of organizing volunteer work, organizing this is relatively cheap. This project is fairly realistic for Kihei Charter. Planting along coastal regions will also protect our coral from dirt, dust, and pesticides. It also sequesters carbon efficiently through native plant growth, and ocean protection. In result, not only are we effectively growing and protecting carbon sinks, such as the ocean and forests, but we're also reviving native plants, and protecting our coral.
Drawbacks
Our main drawback is covid, which is preventing us from volunteering and taking our school on a volunteering trip. Due to covid many volunteer opportunities, including the Coral Reef Alliance, are unable to be utilized. Another big drawback is funding the costs of this idea.
Action
To start taking action against climate change, we decided to plant native trees. We did this because it not only sequesters carbon, but it helps rebuild Maui's ecosystems. We reached out to multiple volunteer organizations to begin to make a difference. If you'd like to help make a change, you can reach out to volunteer organizations to help plant as well. It is so important that more people know about these efforts. Learning what we can do on land to help save coral reefs (which is a lot easier to do than in the ocean) will make the biggest impact. Sharing this information would be so helpful! Knowing that you have voices and can speak up at community meetings in support of rules and regulations be instilled, especially where it comes to new development. Volunteering with Coral Reef Alliance or other organizations that are working to help save coral reefs also makes a huge impact by helping small organizations that have small budgets to continue their work. Continuing the work started or think of other efforts that would help to ensure that we never get complacent or take advantage of where we live and how we can help.