ReefTeach Volunteer Orientation Set for March 16

Orangespine unicornfish in Kahalu‘u Bay. PC: Doug Sell

The Kohala Center’s Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center is seeking community members interested in volunteering to help protect Kahalu‘u Bay and its coral reefs, fish and turtles.

A free orientation session for new ReefTeach volunteers will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2019, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway in Kailua-Kona.

ReefTeachers are “ambassadors of aloha” who welcome residents and visitors to the park, teach visitors proper reef etiquette, and help them identify fish, turtles, and invertebrates in the bay. Program participants learn about ocean conservation and deepen their connection to place while educating visitors, swimmers, and snorkelers on how to protect the delicate corals at Kahalu‘u Bay and beyond.

With nearly 500,000 people visiting Kahalu‘u Bay each year, the health of the bay’s corals and marine life depends on ReefTeachers who educate swimmers and snorkelers on how to enjoy the bay without harming marine life.

To learn more or to sign up, contact Kathleen Clark at kclark@kohalacenter.org or (808) 887-6411.

ReefTeach is a program at The Kohala Center’s Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center promoting environmental stewardship to ensure the bay remains a healthy and welcoming place for residents and visitors alike. A partnership between The Kohala Center and the County of Hawai‘i, Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center is based at Kahalu‘u Beach Park in Kailua-Kona and is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day that the park is open.

About The Kohala Center

Founded in the year 2000, The Kohala Center is an independent, community-based center for research, conservation, and education. We turn research and ancestral knowledge into action, so that communities in Hawai‘i and around the world can thrive—ecologically, economically, culturally and socially.