Day 3: Ka'u by Natalie Osako

July 23rd, 2019

Ka'u 
by Natalie Osako
Today, I was able to sense how much our guides, James and his friends, really care about their home. Hearing them talk about the history and environment surrounding Ka’ū gave me a sense of awe at how deep their knowledge is, further showing just how much they appreciate the land. Working to clear the debris off the black sand beach was hard work with all the vines, sharp sticks, and the sun beating down on us. We, a group of 27, worked for just half an hour and didn’t even clear it all. Ordinarily, this would have just been our three guides, and the amount of work that goes into just clearing those massive piles of branches off the beach showed just how hard they work to protect this area they love so much.

The students working together to clear the beach and build erosion barriers.
Reflecting further, these piles were carried by runoff from the mountains during stormy seasons. It amazes me how branches and leaves from forests that seemed so far off in the distance could travel so far to arrive at the beach, but it just goes to show how even the most unlikely things have connections between each other.
Sitting on the beach and watching the waves on my own afterwards brought me to the kind of “otherworldly” feeling that James talked about. I can see why they work so hard to preserve the environment there. It saddened me a little because beautiful, unpolluted places like this beach are becoming fewer and fewer, but I am so grateful I have the privilege of seeing these things and even contributing to its health by helping to clean it.

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