Skyline Eco Adventures Teams up with Blue'Aina Again!
Our March Blue’Aina is starting to become a tradition with Corporate Sponsor Skyline Eco-Adventures who first jumped on board with us in 2015. They chose for the second year in a row, the non-profit recipient was Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP) and the food was donated by Diamonds Resorts. This Blue’Aina was a traditional underwater reef cleanup. Favorable winds and sea conditions allowed us to make it all the way up to Honolua Bay; a location that we are infrequently able to clean up. The recent north and west swells brought in a lot of big trash items that were seen floating in the middle of our ocean. Giving the Trilogy crew a chance to practice retrievals, we successfully picked up a bucket and a glow stick.
Crew member Andy has become quite the trash finder and Blue’Aina supporter. Just a few days after the March Blue’Aina he and fellow crew managed to haul a few tons a tangled line and buoys from the channel. At Honolua Bay, we found a few strands of fishing line and large pieces of plastic that had been in the ocean for a long time, evidenced by the algae growing on them.
After snorkeling, we enjoyed some of the most delicious food: homemade taro monkey bread, fresh fruit, Caesar wedge salad, pasta potato salad, mixed wraps and homemade brownies for dessert. Thanks, Alin from Diamonds Resorts for spending your birthday weekend with us and donating such belly filling food.
At Trilogy, we are always stoked about our Blue’Aina corporate sponsors especially those who donate year after year. Since their inception in 2002, conservation has been an important part of Skyline Eco Adventures' mission. They have donated over $1 million to non-profit groups and volunteered countless hours within the local community. Skyline is the first zipline operator in the world to join 1% For The Planet-a group of businesses committed to giving at least 1% of all sales back to environmental preservation. They also partner with the Make a Wish Foundation and have had the honor of helping many "wishers" see and experience the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. Check out their conservation page for more details on how they help protect Hawaiʻi’s fragile environment.
On this Blue’Aina Skyline Eco-Adventures choose to sponsor the non-profit Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP).
“.... (MFBRP) is driven by science and dedicated to the conservation of Hawaiʻi’s native forest ecosystems. Formed in 1997, our mission is to develop and implement techniques that recover Maui’s endangered birds and to restore their habitats through research, development, and application of conservation techniques.
• We employ conventional mist-netting, banding, and survey techniques to monitor wild forest bird populations.
• We study breeding success in the wild and monitor bird food resources and prevalence of avian diseases.
• We develop and apply novel recovery initiatives for species of concern.
• We aim to effectively manage and reduce the impact of non-native invasive species.
• We conduct research to investigate the effectiveness of our control methods and formulate this knowledge into long-term management strategies.”
Maui has five endangered species of forest birds, but only two, the Kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill) and the ‘Akohekohe (Crested Honeycreeper) continue to be seen today. These birds are in danger of becoming extinct due to: habitat destruction, ungulates, introduced predators, non-native birds, avian disease, and climate change. The MFBRP continues to work on conservation planning, forest restoration, habitat management, and education and outreach to help save these spectacular birds. They are always looking for volunteers to help in various ways. Check out their website for more information.
Trilogy’s next Blue’Aina will be on April 9th and will be land based with Corporate Sponsor DeSilva Meeting Consultants supporting non-profit West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative. We will be volunteering with WMRRI up in Honokowai Beach Park planting natives and removing invasive species. This Blue’Aina is $10 per person. Head to the Trilogy Blue’Aina website for more information.