HONOLULU (AP) - Multiple cleanup events were held across Oahu in Hawaii over the weekend to spruce up parks, beaches, trails and coastlines.
Hundreds of volunteers picked up trash across the island on Saturday, Hawaii News Now reported.
Members of the Hawaii Bicycling League teamed up with other community members and state officials to also clean up the Pearl Harbor Bike Path.
The trail is the island’s longest multi-use path and stretches for more than 5 miles (about 8 kilometers).
People who participated said they hope the cleanup efforts will help the environment.
“After COVID, without the cleanups, you just notice how much trash is there and it’s bleeding right into the ocean,” said Christina Laney-Mitre of Smart Living Hawaii.
“It’s gotten less over the years but there’s still a lot that’s there that needs to be cleaned up, and that prevents it from going to the ocean or our environment,” added Honolulu City Councilmember Brandon Elefante.
Volunteers said the goal was to gain momentum for a government and community partnership to care for environmental causes on a long-term basis.
Meanwhile, the Rotary Club partnered with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and other organizations Saturday to clean up underwater, the outlet reported.
Volunteers with the Ocean Defenders Alliance wore scuba gear and recovered debris from water off of Magic Island.
Dozens of people also took part in cleaning up trash in the park and going through microplastics.
“If you could see the tires, three tires. There might be even a kitchen sink here but there’s a mattress, there’s a lot of containers a lot of rubbish out there and we were just out there an hour,” said Naomi Masuno of the Rotary Club.
“We’ve got tremendous volunteers, everyone in our organization is a volunteer and they just have a passion for the sea and all the marine life and so that’s why we come together and that’s why we do what we do,” said Ken Staples of Ocean Defenders Alliance.
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