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Keiki Learn to Care for Ocean

By Mary Simms

WAIKIKI (KHNL) -  Hawaii's Department of Transportation announces a new campaign today, "Malama I Ka Wai." It aims to teach kids about the danger of pollution entering out streets, and our storm drains. The program teaches kids how to send less pollution down the drain, and makes them understand why they should care.

These 15 elementary students competed against more than 800 others to pick the name for the new storm water management campaign.

They named this mascot, "Malama." And, in the process they learned that coral, and reef dwelling fish are very affected by what goes down the drain, so they need to be careful.

"Because if we don't, fish like the humuhumunukunukuapuaa might die and be extinct and never exist," said 3rd Grader Isaiah Shigematsu.

The campaign is focused on awareness, because many people simply don't know that what goes down here, flows into the ocean unfiltered and untreated.

"They should leave there trash not in the ocean because then it will go into the ocean and suffocate the animals that live there, said 5th Grader Celine Lum.

Local celebrity Jordan Segundo is throwing his star power to the cause, energizing the kids to make a difference.

"Its up to us to really do what we can here on earth because what we do on land, throwing our down the storm drain or leaving debris or different things that we do affect the ocean and the water and the marine life," said Segundo.

Reaching them young, the goal is to make taking care of the ocean second nature.

"I think teaching the kids at an early age about an issue thats really important it'll stick with them."