Yellow blocks found on Tern Island!

Aloha Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that three blocks were found on South Beach, Tern Island.  The email dated March 26th was sent as follows:

"Hello,
We found three of your yellow painted drifter blocks on South Beach, Tern Island, (within French Frigate Shoals, Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge). Unfortunately, I cannot give you a very precise date of when the blocks would have arrived. The field station was hit by a severe storm in early December and all personnel had to be evacuated. We normally patrol South Beach once per week for marine debris and invasive plants, but nobody was on the island for a period of 3 months this winter. We returned to the island on March 18th and found the blocks on the following day.
The numbers on the blocks are: xxx, xxx, and xx. 

Let me know if I can answer any questions,

Wildlife Refuge Specialist
Tern Island Field Station, French Frigate Shoals
Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument"

Be on the lookout for our MAMDRP wooden floaters!

Aloha Everyone,

We are at the peak of our MAMDRP research project.  Through Na Pua No'eau's partnership with Kua'ana Native Hawaiian Student Services, we are trying to answer determine how ocean currents affect the flow of marine debris to specific sites on O'ahu, especially with the debris coming from the Japan tsunami incident.

On December 1st, a bunch of blocks were dropped off some 20 miles out into the ocean on the windward side of O'ahu and come this Saturday, December 8th, another group of blocks will be dropped off approximately 20 miles out into the ocean on the leeward side of O'ahu.

We are asking everyone to spread the word on this huge project and initiative.  Tell your friends and family across the state that if they find any of the blocks below, please call our MAMDRP hotline at 956-9531 or email us at mamdrp@gmail.com with the following information:
-The location or place of your find: include the island, town, or country (i.e.  Kihei Beach, Maui or Dedeo, Guam)
-The approximate time you found it and the date you found it.  Include the month, day and year. (i.e. Around 4:30pm, December 3, 2012)
-On the top of every block there's a number, please provide us with the number on the block you find.
-This is optional, but you may also leave us your name and a contact number or email.  This will allow us to contact you if we have any questions.

A day with Kainani Kahaunaele & painting...

It was an awesome first day,

The morning started with a half day with Kainani Kahaunaele, a musician, an educator, a Kaua‘i native and now residing in Hilo as a lecturer at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.  The MAMDRP Pathways haumana were the first ever to learn the mele "Helu Kai," a chant which calls out to all of the Hawaiian Islands' ocean channels.  The mele, for our MAMDRP students is a reminder of what the ocean channels' names are, and how we are as a people connected to the ocean.

The mele was later turned into a mele inoa by composer Kaipo Frias (Dr. Taupouri Tangaro) in honor of Kainani.  This mele inoa was inspired by Kainani's name and the function of linking our islands and people together using our seas as the metaphor.  Kainani is a crew member on Makali‘i and Hokule‘a voyaging canoes and has used this mele to acknowledge our kupuna, home ocean and seafaring traditions.

"Helu Kai"

Composed by Kaipo Frias (Dr. Taupouri Tangaro)

If you'd like to hear a sample of how quick "Helu Kai" really is,
CLICK HERE

No Ni‘ihau laua ‘o Kaua‘i ‘o Kaulakahi

No Kaua‘i laua ‘o O‘ahu, ‘o Ka‘ie‘iewaho

No O‘ahu laua ‘o Moloka‘i, ‘o Kaiwi

No Moloka‘i laua ‘o Maui, ‘o Pailolo

No Maui laua ‘o Lana‘i, ‘o ‘Au‘au

No Lana‘i laua ‘o Kanaloa, ‘o Kealaikahiki

No Kanaloa laua ‘o Maui, ‘o ‘Alalakeiki

No Maui laua ‘o Hawai‘i, ‘o ‘Alenuihaha

E ki‘i i ka malo, hume i ka malo

Eia a‘e ka nalu, e kau i ka nu‘u

A pae a pae a pae ma ke one wali o ‘Ohele

Le‘i Waiakea i ka nuku na kanaka

No Kahaunaele Kainani la he inoa

Later that afternoon, the MAMDRP Pathways students and their alaka‘i (mentors) went outside to begin painting some 900 wooden blocks for their research project.  A total of 1800 blocks will be launched off on the windward and leeward sides of O‘ahu to get a better understanding of where marine debris float to on O‘ahu