How other Maui environmental advocates are ‘walking the talk’

Hannah Bernard, executive director of Hawaii Wildlife Fund

“I try not to buy plastic as much as possible, I combine all vehicle travel with as many actions as I can to reduce my use of my car. I walk and bike as much as I can. I conserve water, including watering my banana trees with my washing machine water. I line-dry my clothes. I have a compost for all food waste and, of course, I recycle.”

Kyle Kawakami, chef and owner of Maui Fresh Streatery

“We have been utilizing biodegradable, eco-friendly containers, cups and utensils from the start of our business almost seven years ago. It was our goal not to use foam or plastics that might impact our island ecosystem and environment. Our menus also reflect an effort to support local agriculture, farming and fishing. I believe the biggest impact we can make on our environment right now based on the current situation with the ongoing pandemic is to support local agriculture.”

Malia Cahill, executive director of Maui Huliau Foundation

“I avoid single-use plastic as much as possible, compost my food waste, hang my clothes to dry, buy local produce and lots of other small daily things. I am also grateful to be able to work with youth to build community partnerships to address local environmental issues, and to educate and empower them to make our islands more sustainable.

Albert Perez, executive director of Maui Tomorrow

“I’m a tall human and I don’t fit into any electric or biodiesel vehicles that I know of, so I try to minimize my driving. I telecommute when possible, and when I do drive, I try to minimize my carbon footprint by driving conservatively and maximizing my gas mileage. I also try very hard to minimize my use of energy … . I always try to grow at least some of my own food, and always organically. It helps to keep me connected to the aina. Also, homegrown food is fresher. I don’t have to wonder how it was grown or what was put on it. I don’t have to drive to the store and the food doesn’t have to be shipped halfway around the world.”

Austin Van Heusen, Malama Maui Nui board member and Green Building Hawaii energy consultant

“I feel the most impactful thing a single person can do is grow their own food and purchase local produce. I recently moved to a property in Haiku and have been building vegetable gardens and planting fruit trees. Not only does this reduce environmental impact through shipping, but also builds our local food resilience, nurtures the Earth and is good for you both mentally and physically. Living sustainably isn’t as difficult as most people seem to think and most times it can be cost-effective and healthy for you.”

Kathy Becklin, executive director of Grow Some Good

“I compost everything I can: food scraps, yard waste, shredded paper. Over the years, my yard has changed from a sea of green grass to trees and garden beds. I admit that I’m too busy to grow a lot of food, but I grow the easy stuff: herbs, uala and fruit trees like mango, papaya, lemon, ulu, kalamansi and pomelo. Of course, I recycle but I try to limit what I buy … ; everything has an impact on our planet. I drive a 15-year-old Prius and am so happy we put PV on our home. I eat more plant-based foods. All the little things add up.”

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>> Maui’s environmental activists share how they incorporate sustainability