VISITING WETLANDS A GREAT EXPERIENCE RAMSAR WORLD WETLANDS DAY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012 9 am TO 1:30 pm Setup: 7 am - 9 am Breakdown: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pmBagged trash will be disposed of by volunteers Kailua United Methodist Church1110 Kailua Road
For the fifth year in a row, Ho`olaulima is Kawainui, a consortium of NGOs, federal/state/county agencies, businesses, and faith & cultural organizations will be celebrating the designation of the Kawainui-Hamakua Marsh Complex in Kailua as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance. The event will be held on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012, from 9 am to 1:30 pm at Kailua United Methodist Church, 1110 Kailua Road. All activities, live entertainment, educational & cultural exhibits, and Marsh tours are free. Tour pre-registration will start on Monday, January 23rd. We would love to have you take part by setting up an active educational display for folks of all ages & knowledge levels about your organization and what your mission is OR you can use the event to sell unique, locally-made items from your retail store. We're also looking for one more food vendor. . There is no charge to commercial vendors; however, we do ask that you donate a gift certificate or a product to be given away throughout the event as part of the entertainment. We expect to have even more people attend this year than last year - and that figure hit over 1,000. Of course, we have to deal with the weather, but we do plan to have plenty of tents set up. Given the time of day, I would expect that probably 700+ will be buying something to eat. This year's focus will be on children, youth & young adults as they help foster the future of Hawai'i for their own children & grandchildren. In addition, there will briefings by the Department of Land & Natural Resources on their efforts to update the 1994 Kawainui Marsh Master Plan as well as information about the two remediation/restoration projects at the southern end of Kawainui Marsh. Another draft master plan dealing with cultural and educational resources will also be available that day for public comment and discussion. Students from several different schools will also be presenting their work as well. We'll also be holding a HI-5 Collection Drive as a fundraiser for the Windward Ahupua`a Alliance, and will be giving away a free malassada or two or ten or ????? depending upon the number of icontainers donated. NOTE #1: I am responsible for the food & other commercial vendors so please call me at 224-4496 to get more information as to how to take part. NOTE #2: The event covers all kinds of environmental & economic issues from climate change & rising sea levels to food sustainability to THE FOUR Rs to invasive species to getting off fossil fuels to protecting our watersheds to ____________(fill in the blank with your Green Goals). As long as your organization is located here in Hawai`i, then we would love to have you take part Shannon Wood, President Windward Ahupua`a Alliance PLANT A NATIVE TREE CAMPAIGNP.O. Box 6366 Kane`ohe, HI 96744 Voicemail: 808/247-6366; Cellular: 808/223-4481or 808/224-4496 (personal) Website: http://www.waa-hawaii.org; E-mail: mailto:info@waa-hawaii.orgWebsite: http://www.plantanativetree.org; E-mail: mailto:info@plantanaativetree.org