Malama Na Honu

“Expenses office 2,456 information technology 3,387 travel 5,949 insurance 1,082 turtle expense 14,004 beach expense 6,363 nesting expense 6,801 education 6,640 volunteer appreciation 6,926 other 6,193 total 59,801”

“To protect hawaiian sea turtles through education, public awareness and conservation, all in the spirit of aloha.”

“In 2007, under the authority of the endangered species act, noaa fisheries began providing grant funds to our non-profit organization to support public outreach activities that promote respectful behavior around the honu. Malama i na honu's presence on the beach has significantly helped reduce disturbance to basking turtles. Malama i na honu continue to have a great relationship with noaa and they recently posted two articles; one of them that highlights the heartbeat of our organization. Today, the hawaiian green sea turtle is a "threatened species," under the federal endangered species act. Since receiving the protection of that act in 1978, the honu have made a marvelous comeback and in recent years have experienced an increase in their numbers in excess of 5% annually. Their protection while peacefully basking on the beach and spreading the word to the public of the continuing need for preservation efforts on their behalf is the mission of malama i na honu. Our volunteers successfully accomplish this primarily through education at the beach and in schools throughout o`ahu, all done in the spirit of aloha. Our efforts are focused on the north shore of oahu. More than ever, it is necessary for the education of residents and visitors alike to treat them with respect. Honu guardian volunteers are on the beach every day of the year to offer educational outreach about this protected species. This helps avoid intentional and inadvertent harassment and assures the honus peaceful coexistence with humans on our beaches. Malama i na honu is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, established in the state of hawaii, and at any given time has in excess of 95 active volunteers who help carry out its protective and educational mission. Malama i na honu's education and outreach program has successfully gone to multiple schools on the island of oahu, hosted outreach for scout troops, hosted outreach events for sealife park and other various platforms across the island to provide awareness of hawaiian green sea turtles and other marinelife.”

“Debbie herrera, program coordinator and director”