New Kauai program encourages visitors to participate in beach cleanups

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - On Kauai, guests who vacation at The Cliffs at Princeville are now encouraged to do beach cleanups while they enjoy the sun and surf.

It’s part of the resort’s commitment to Surfrider Foundation Kauai’s Ocean Friendly Visitors Program.

“This is a good program to get them out and safely see some of these nice beaches, and do some good while they’re there,” general manager Jim Braman said.

Surfrider Kauai is the first chapter in Hawaii to institute the ocean friendly visitors program.

“We have a lot of marine debris and trash on our beaches that come in from the ocean. So we’re cleaning them up all the time, to the tune of 10,000 pounds every month,” chapter chair Cynthia Welti said.

Guests at The Cliffs learn about the program before they arrive. During their stay they are offered beach buckets to take along on sightseeing trips so they can pick up shoreline trash.

“They bring whatever they collect back to us,” Braman said. “We’ve also been asking them if they would share some family pictures of them doing it, that we’ll in turn put up on Instagram and our website.”

The Ocean Friendly Visitors Program also urges visitors to minimize using plastic utensils, to dine at ocean friendly restaurants, and to avoid using sunscreens that can harm marine life.

“There are reef safe sunscreens. Please use those or just wear a hat and a shirt and minimize your time in the sun,” Welti said.

Braman said guests at The Cliffs appreciate what the program is trying to accomplish.

“There’s been a lol of excitement surrounding it. A lot of people are saying, ‘Yeah. That’s something we would love to do,’ especially families,” he said.

On April 5, Kauai rejoins the state’s Safe Travels program.

The Cliffs at Princevelle is the first Garden Island resort or hotel to participate in Surfrider Kauai’s Ocean Friendly Visitors Program. Welti said more will follow.

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