Kaʻū Middle School & Partners Mālama Punaluʻu

By Jennifer (Jen) Johansen

Kaʻū Middle School is taking an active role in stewardship at Punaluʻu. Students have been cultivating Naupaka kahakai and are now planting them along the edge of Punaluʻu fishpond. The plants will help prevent the sand from eroding into the murky water during storm swells. To monitor environmental changes, students are learning to use the Emery Method to create beach profiles, which tracks the movement of sand over time and provides data on shoreline stability.

The sand is a critical resource for basking honu (green sea turtles) and ʻīlio holo i ka uaua (monk seals), as well as nesting honuʻea (hawksbill sea turtles). Punaluʻu also remains a cherished place of recreation and enjoyment for the Kaʻū community.

This is a collaborative effort between Kaʻū Middle School, community member Guy Enriques and the NOAA Ocean Guardian School Program. Through their dedication to protecting this coastline, the students are officially earning the title of Ocean Guardians. To mark their progress a new sign has been installed near the Honu resting area identifying the land currently being restored for a future educational site.