Reason 362 of why I love Liz Foote, CORAL Hawaii Field Manager. Not only is she all about coral reef education, outreach, and conservation on her home island of Maui, but she's happy to share the love with the Big Island too. Above is a snap of Liz at the Coral Reef Awareness and Earth Day Fair at Kahalu‘u Beach Park along the beautiful Kailua-Kona coast of Hawaii. Liz has the sweetest conservation gig as she gets to wear shorts, sunglasses, and flip flops to work--I made her wear the garish green T-shirt... sorry, Liz. The Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort also teamed up to make it a day of music, food, and Hawaiian arts and crafts.
Liz joined a whole bunch of environmental organizations and agencies that showcased Hawaii Island's fragile ecosystems and helped educate Earth Fair visitors about some of the rarest plants and animals on earth. Tourists and locals learned about native plants and birds, corals, whales, turtles, and monk seals and even got to meet "Humu," the talking and walking fish. In case you're wondering, Humu is not the one in the green T-shirt.
Kahalu‘u Beach Park is a very heavily used recreational area. Despite signage warning visitors to not touch the coral, on any day you can see behavior just like in this picture captured by underwater photographer
Ziggy Livnat in the waters off Kahalu‘u Beach. Education and enforcement is vitally needed and the Coral Reef Awareness and Earth Day Fair was an opportunity to provide keiki and adults with an opportunity to make learning fun.
I'd be lying if I said that these sorts of environmental fairs are all work. They are also a chance for friends in the environmental and conservation world to see each other and have a great time. Liz and I both had a blast at last year's Earth Day Fair at Kahalu‘u Beach and I was so jealous that she got to attend again (particularly considering my
previous post.) But looks like Liz had a great time with CORAL friends Donna Brown of the University of Hawaii-Maui Community College
Marine Option Program (pictured with Liz and the walking Humu), Teri and Jeff Leicher of
Jack's Diving Locker, and Jill Komoto, Executive Director of the
Malama Kai Foundation (hint, Jill is not wearing the green shirt with the "Liz" nametag.) Hope I get to celebrate Earth Day with you all next year... and some Hawaiian shaved ice would be nice too.
Reason 362 of why I love Liz Foote, CORAL Hawaii Field Manager. Not only is she all about coral reef education, outreach, and conservation on her home island of Maui, but she's happy to share the love with the Big Island too. Above is a snap of Liz at the Coral Reef Awareness and Earth Day Fair at Kahalu‘u Beach Park along the beautiful Kailua-Kona coast of Hawaii. Liz has the sweetest conservation gig as she gets to wear shorts, sunglasses, and flip flops to work--I made her wear the garish green T-shirt... sorry, Liz. The Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort also teamed up to make it a day of music, food, and Hawaiian arts and crafts. 
Liz joined a whole bunch of environmental organizations and agencies that showcased Hawaii Island's fragile ecosystems and helped educate Earth Fair visitors about some of the rarest plants and animals on earth. Tourists and locals learned about native plants and birds, corals, whales, turtles, and monk seals and even got to meet "Humu," the talking and walking fish. In case you're wondering, Humu is not the one in the green T-shirt.
Kahalu‘u Beach Park is a very heavily used recreational area. Despite signage warning visitors to not touch the coral, on any day you can see behavior just like in this picture captured by underwater photographer Ziggy Livnat in the waters off Kahalu‘u Beach. Education and enforcement is vitally needed and the Coral Reef Awareness and Earth Day Fair was an opportunity to provide keiki and adults with an opportunity to make learning fun.
I'd be lying if I said that these sorts of environmental fairs are all work. They are also a chance for friends in the environmental and conservation world to see each other and have a great time. Liz and I both had a blast at last year's Earth Day Fair at Kahalu‘u Beach and I was so jealous that she got to attend again (particularly considering my 
previous post.) But looks like Liz had a great time with CORAL friends Donna Brown of the University of Hawaii-Maui Community College Marine Option Program (pictured with Liz and the walking Humu), Teri and Jeff Leicher of Jack's Diving Locker, and Jill Komoto, Executive Director of the Malama Kai Foundation (hint, Jill is not wearing the green shirt with the "Liz" nametag.) Hope I get to celebrate Earth Day with you all next year... and some Hawaiian shaved ice would be nice too.
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