Nearly 40 community members planted out dozens of native coastal plants Saturday , October 26, 2019, at the Alakoko Fishpond.
The workday, the one-year anniversary of Malama Hule`iaʻs first workday at the pond, culminated with the opening of an imu and an impressive luau spread. The imu had been started along the fishpond at 9 p.m. Friday and was opened at 11:30 am. Saturday.
Steamed breadfruit and pans of pork other goodies came out beautifully cooked.
Before the feast, teams of volunteers prepared the native weaving sedge makaloa and other potted coastal plants for out-planting onto the shores of the pond, where mangrove had been removed. Little by little, the exposed mudflats are turning green.
The work was accompanied by the calls of nearly a dozen native Hawaiian stilts, aʻeo, and a trio of Hawaiian ducks, koloa, and other wildlife that has repopulated the waterʻs edge now that mangrove has been removed.
Malama Huleia 