Hoʻomalu Ke Kai

Hoʻomalu Ke Kai We stand for sustainably protecting and watching over Kauaʻi's marine ecosystems' health, while sha

This past Saturday, nearly 60 volunteers came together at Nōmilu for one of the largest community workdays we’ve ever sh...
06/15/2026

This past Saturday, nearly 60 volunteers came together at Nōmilu for one of the largest community workdays we’ve ever shared. 🙌🏽

Longtime volunteers, first-time volunteers, family, friends, and community members worked side by side. After the workday and oli, a special group representing Indigenous communities from around the world honored the place by sharing traditional chants from their own cultures, a beautiful reminder that while our languages may differ, our responsibility to care for the places that sustain us is something we all share. 🔄

Together, we cleared another 90 feet of thick pickleweed and other introduced vegetation around the fishpond.

Just one final section remains before the vision of clearing the 3,560 ft perimeter can become reality. 💫

None of this would be possible without the Palama ʻohana. Long before organized workdays or restoration programs, family and their friends spent countless days with buckets, shovels, and lots of determination reopening the ʻauwai connecting the fishpond to the ocean. Those grassroots efforts helped inspire the ʻohana to protect this place, take the property off the market, and establish Kauaʻi Sea Farm. Everything happening at Nōmilu today is built upon that foundation, with many of the OG crew continuing to be quiet forces helping protect and restore this incredible place.

This weekend also happened to be Ikaika’s birthday, as well as one of the recent additions to the Nōmilu kitchen crew, Eddie! Hau‘oli Lā Hanau, hammahs! 🎉

Mahalo nui to Lena and the whole kitchen crew for keeping everyone fueled with incredible seafood stew and fresh fried ‘āholehole that he caught especially for the workday.🐟

We also celebrated Kieran’s final workday before heading to UH to begin his master’s degree studying ciguatera in Hawaiʻi. From earning his dive certification in high school, to volunteering, helping care for our first corals, and now pursuing graduate research, his journey reminds us why investing in our local youth matters. We’re incredibly proud of you, Kieran. 👏🏽

Mahalo to everyone who showed up, brought food, shared stories, and gave your time.🙏🏽

This is what community looks like. 🫶🏽

🌊 World Ocean Month Workday at Nōmilu 🌱Join us this Saturday as we continue restoring Nōmilu and work toward removing th...
06/10/2026

🌊 World Ocean Month Workday at Nōmilu 🌱

Join us this Saturday as we continue restoring Nōmilu and work toward removing the final ~100 feet of introduced pickleweed remaining along the fishpond perimeter. 🙌🏽

While this work is happening inside the fishpond, its effects ripple far beyond the mākāhā (fishpond gates). 💫

Traditional Hawaiian fishponds served as nurseries and incubators for countless species that moved between the estuary and the nearshore ocean. By restoring these systems, we help improve habitat, water flow, biodiversity, and ecological connections that support healthier reefs, fisheries, and coastal ecosystems. 🔄

As Alakoko Loko Iʻa practitioner Peleke Flores has shared, fishponds are the incubators of the reef. 🪸

When fishponds thrive, the benefits ripple outward into the surrounding ocean, creating a positive domino effect that can be felt from the shoreline to offshore fisheries. 🐟

This World Ocean Month, come mālama a place where land and sea meet and help us continue bringing Nōmilu back to life. 🙏🏽

📅 Saturday, June 13
⏰ 10:00am–2:00pm
📍 Nōmilu Loko Iʻa, Kauaʻi

RSVP required. Participation is limited due to access, transportation, and facility constraints.

🔗 Sign up through the link in our bio.

All ages and experience levels welcome. 🤙🏽

06/09/2026

🌊 MAHALO PIHA, KAUAʻI 🌊

Our 3rd Annual Kauaʻi World Ocean Day Festival was our biggest yet! 🎉

Nearly 200 community members joined us alongside more than 20 organizations throughout the day to mālama one of Kauaʻi’s most impacted beaches for marine debris, removing more than 700 pounds of debris while celebrating the ocean through education, culture, music, food, art, and action. 🤙🏽

From the powerful opening protocol led by Kumu Pua Rossi and ʻohana, to the incredible educational booths, local food vendors, amazing giveaway sponsors, and unforgettable performances by Lenny Breeze, D-Minor Quartet, and The Vitals 808, this day was a beautiful reminder of what is possible when a community comes together with a shared purpose. ⚡️

Mahalo to the countless volunteers, directors, partner organizations, sponsors, performers, vendors, donors, photographers, videographers, and community members who poured their time, energy, expertise, and aloha into making this event possible. This festival is built by many hands and many hearts, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life. 🙌🏽🙌🏿🙌🏼🙌🏾🙌🏻

Throughout the day, one message kept surfacing again and again: just show up. Show up for your community. Show up for the places you love. Show up for each other. Show up for the ocean; not just on a holiday, but every day. 🙏🏽

World Ocean Day is every day. Not because of a date on the calendar, or a festival, but because people continue to show up and do their part. 💫

Every refillable water bottle.
Every piece of marine debris removed.
Every native species protected.
Every conversation shared.
Every person inspired to care.

The ocean connects us all, and together we can ensure future generations inherit healthy reefs, thriving fisheries, clean beaches, and resilient coastal communities. 🔄

Until next year, keep on keepin’ on, Kauaʻi; and remember to keep on protecting the ocean we all love, any way youʻre able to. 🫶🏽

🎥 Reel beautifully captured and produced by our Director of Cinematography, Kai Poulton. ()

🌊 Happy World Ocean Month! 🎉The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, produces much of the oxygen we breathe, regula...
06/01/2026

🌊 Happy World Ocean Month! 🎉

The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, produces much of the oxygen we breathe, regulates our climate, feeds communities around the world, and connects us all through a shared blue planet. 🔄

On Kauaʻi, the ocean gives us so much. This month is a reminder to celebrate it, care for it, and protect it for future generations. Every cleanup, restoration effort, conversation, and act of mālama does make a difference. 🫶🏽

We’re also excited to share that signups for vendors and educational booths at the 3rd Annual Kauaʻi World Ocean Day Festival are now officially closed! Mahalo nui to everyone who signed up to be part of this year’s event. 🙏🏽

Over the next week, we’ll be announcing the full lineup, event layout, educational activities, food vendors, music, giveaways, and more. 💫

This year’s festival is shaping up to be our biggest yet, with a larger venue, County stage, expanded educational offerings, more food vendors, bigger musical performances, and more chances to win prizes from amazing community sponsors and local businesses who believe in bringing people together around our shared love for the ocean. 💙

🌊 What was your favorite part of last year’s festival?

Let us know in the comments as we count down to June 7th! 🤙🏽🤙🏽

🌊🪸 KAUA‘I WORLD OCEAN DAY FESTIVAL IS ALMOST HERE 🪸🌊We’re less than 2 weeks away from the 3rd Annual Kauaʻi World Ocean ...
05/25/2026

🌊🪸 KAUA‘I WORLD OCEAN DAY FESTIVAL IS ALMOST HERE 🪸🌊

We’re less than 2 weeks away from the 3rd Annual Kauaʻi World Ocean Day Beach Cleanup & Festival and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate with our community 💙

📍 Nukoliʻi Beach (large grassy field adjacent to )
🗓 Sunday, June 7, 2026
⏰ 11am–3pm

Join us for a day rooted in mālama kai, community, education, culture, music, food, and action at one of Kauaʻi’s most heavily impacted beaches for marine debris.

🌊 BEACH CLEANUP
Help us remove marine debris from Nukoliʻi Beach and protect our coastlines and reefs for future generations.

🎁 GIVEAWAYS
Every bag of marine debris collected earns a chance to win giveaway prizes from amazing local supporters and community businesses 🙏🏽

🎶 LIVE MUSIC
Featuring:
• The Vitals 808 ()
• D-Minor Quartet ()
• Lenny Breeze ()

🍴 LOCAL FOOD
Come hungry and support local:
• Kye’s Grab & Go
• Laulau
• Chili
• Musubi
• Mini bentos
• Hot dogs
• Desserts

📚 OCEAN EDUCATION + COMMUNITY BOOTHS
Connect with organizations and community groups working every day to protect and restore Kauaʻi’s oceans, reefs, wildlife, and coastlines including:
• Kauaʻi Ocean Awareness ()
• Surfrider Kauaʻi ()
• Kauaʻi Sea Farm ()
• Save Our Shearwaters ()
• The Nature Conservancy ()
• Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project ()
• Friends of Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge ()
• and more 🌊

This event is FREE and open to everyone. Bring your friends, family, keiki, reef-safe sunscreen, reusable water bottle, and good vibes ☀️

Mahalo nui to every volunteer, musician, educator, vendor, donor, organization, cultural practitioner, and community member helping make this possible for Kauaʻi. This event can only come together because of all of you 🫶🏽

The ocean gives us every breath we take, regulates our climate, feeds our communities, and connects all life on Earth 🌎🌏🌍 Protecting it means protecting our future 🔄

See you there! 🤙🏽

Another incredible day of laulima at Nōmilu 🐟 🙌🏽 ʻOhana, caretakers, and community all came together to mālama this wahi...
05/10/2026

Another incredible day of laulima at Nōmilu 🐟 🙌🏽 ʻOhana, caretakers, and community all came together to mālama this wahi pana with so much positivity, laughter, hard work, and joy every step of the way.

A special mahalo to all of the Mothers who spent part of their Mother’s Day weekend caring for this place and future generations. 💫

Mahalo piha to the entire hui at Nōmilu including the Palama ʻohana, Kauaʻi Sea Farm, ‘Onōmilu, our everyday caretakers of HKK + KCRN, and every hand that has ever touched this place with aloha over the years. The impacts of this work continue reverberating far beyond the fishpond itself and into the surrounding ecosystems that thrive from its restoration and flow.🙏🏽🔄

Huge mahalo as well to Lena and the crew for the amazing meal that kept everyone fueled and smiling throughout the day. 🫶🏽

We’re now down to the final ~100 ft of pickleweed removal around the 3,560 ft perimeter of Nōmilu. So close to completing an absolutely massive restoration milestone together. 🎉

One step at a time. In lōkahi. For this very special place. 💙

Nōmilu is transforming through the hands and hearts of community. And we’re just getting started! 🪏2nd Saturday workdays...
05/04/2026

Nōmilu is transforming through the hands and hearts of community. And we’re just getting started! 🪏

2nd Saturday workdays are continuing on, and this place is taking shape in a big way. 💫

We’re down to the last ~200 feet of pickleweed removal along the 3,560ft perimeter! 🎉
What was once overgrown and stagnant is now flowing, breathing, and supporting native life once again. 🐟

This is what consistent community care can do. 💪🏽

Mahalo to the everyday caretakers who continue to show up for this place—your time, your energy, and your consistency are what make this transformation possible.

Mahalo nui as well to the Palama ʻohana for their deep connection and ongoing care of this wahi pana—and we’re excited as ʻOnōmilu continues to take shape, creating even more opportunities for our community to give back. 🫶🏽

We are especially grateful for the leadership of our Director of Mālama Nōmilu, Kalalena Lum Won, whose ʻike, years of kilo, and steady presence continue to guide this work with intention and grace. Mahalo for being our alakaʻi and for keeping us grounded in the cultural foundation of this restoration. 🙏🏽

And as we close out this chapter, we move into the next one together. 📖

Next up:
🔹 Building Kōʻele No. 2 (fish pen) in the back of the pond
🔹 Restoring traditional terracing for food crops
🔹 Removing haole koa to make space for native systems to thrive

Every workday is a chance to be part of this. 🔄

Come get your hands in it with us. 🙌🏽

🗓️ 2nd Saturdays | 📍Nōmilu
✅ RSVP required (limited spots)

Mahalo to everyone who continues to show up. This is laulima in action. 🙏🏽

04/30/2026

We’re honored to be featured by the County of Kauaʻi Solid Waste & Recycling as a FY26 grant recipient—highlighting our Ocean Plastic Upcycling Program and the work happening right here on Kauaʻi. 🔄

What started as a vision has continued to grow through the support of this community and programs like the County Recycling Grant and the Office of Economic Development’s Innovation Grant. 🙏🏽

Because of that support, we’ve been able to:
• Recover and divert ocean-bound plastic from our shorelines
• Build out our upcycling facility
• Create durable, locally made products from recovered materials
• Expand education and hands-on opportunities for our community

This work is about more than recycling. It’s about rethinking waste, building local solutions, and creating pathways for a more circular economy on Kauaʻi. 🙌🏽

We’re continuing to grow this program with the goal of creating local jobs, hiring dedicated staff, and making these upcycled products more accessible across our island so sustainable alternatives are just as available as products shipped from across the world. ⚖️

Mahalo nui loa to the County of Kauaʻi Solid Waste & Recycling Division, the Office of Economic Development, and all of you who continue to show up, support, and believe in this work. This program exists because of you. 🫶🏽

Huge mahalo to the innovators and builders behind the machinery and scanning systems ( + ) that make this work possible, and to the global Precious Plastic () community for inspiring movements like this all over the world. What started as shared knowledge and open-source tools has empowered small, local programs like ours to take action in a real way. We’re grateful to be part of a growing network turning waste into opportunity—right here on Kauaʻi and beyond.

🎥 Check out the video to see what we’ve been building together.

🤙🏽 Want to get involved?
Join us this weekend or soon for our 1st Saturday community workdays at the upcycling lab or come volunteer with us during the week. Always more to do and always better when we do it together.

We’re excited to welcome the community back to our upcycling space as we get our sheet press back online and running aga...
04/30/2026

We’re excited to welcome the community back to our upcycling space as we get our sheet press back online and running again. 🙌🏽

Join us as we transform ghost nets and ocean-bound plastic collected from our coastlines into durable, useful materials. What was once marine debris headed for landfill becomes something with a second life, shaped by the hands of our community. 🙏🏽

This work is made possible through incredible collaboration. Huge mahalo to Matoha for their plastic identification scanner technology, helping us better understand and sort materials. 🔬

A special shoutout to Citizen Scientific Workshop and David Ultis for the engineering, innovation, and hands-on support to get our machines running properly, efficiently, and safely. 🛠️

We’re also deeply grateful to the County of Kauaʻi Solid Waste and Recycling for their continued support through the Recycling Grant Program, allowing us to keep this work moving forward here on Kauaʻi. 💫

This is more than just a workday. It’s a chance to learn, connect, and see what’s possible when we rethink waste and take action together. 🤙🏽🤙🏽

Every piece of plastic we process represents time spent on our shores, impacts avoided in our ocean, and a step toward a more circular system here on Kauaʻi. 🔄

Come get involved, get your hands dirty, and be part of the process from debris to creation. ⚙️

📍 Meeting Location: Makai service entrance gate just past Kaumakani Ave (heading West) or just before Kaumakani Ave (heading East)
🕘 Meet Time: 9:50–10:00am
⏰ Workday: 10:00am–12:00pm

Closed-toed shoes required. Restrooms available on site.

Questions? Reach out to Tim at 808-495-6836

All are welcome. No experience needed.

Let’s keep showing what community-driven solutions can look like 🫶🏽

🌊 World Ocean Day Festival 2026 – Save the Date 🪸We’re excited to officially announce the 3rd Annual Kaua‘i World Ocean ...
04/27/2026

🌊 World Ocean Day Festival 2026 – Save the Date 🪸

We’re excited to officially announce the 3rd Annual Kaua‘i World Ocean Day Festival!! 🎉

📍 Nukoliʻi Beach (Big Grassy Field)
🗓 Sunday, June 7, 2026
⏰ 11am–2pm

This coastline is one of Kauaʻi’s most heavily impacted marine debris accumulation zones—making it a powerful place for our community to come together, learn, and take action for our ocean. 🔄

We’re now opening up our first call for participants 💫

We’re looking for:
• 🌿 Environmental & educational organizations
• 🛍 Sustainable vendors & local artisans
• 🎶 Musicians & performers
• 🌮 Food trucks & food vendors
• 🎁 Businesses interested in donating raffle prizes

If you’re passionate about caring for our oceans and want to be part of this community-driven event, we’d love to connect.

📩 Reach out via DM or email us to get involved 🤙🏽

Let’s come together to celebrate, learn, and show Ke Kai some Kaua‘i kine aloha 🌊🫶🏽

Mahalo for putting together this awesome flyer together for this year’s festival, .lana_ 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽



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