Celebrating Earth Day Around Our World

Celebrating Earth Day Around Our World

Volunteers Remove Over 3,600 Pounds of Trash from Kodiak

On Earth Day, Alaska non-profit Kodiak KINDNESS hosted its third annual cleanup event sponsored by Matson’s Caring for Alaska program. This year the group again focused on the areas
around Mill Bay Beach and White Sands Beach.

Led by Executive Director Heather Preece, 66 volunteers gathered 3,660 pounds of trash, including a mix of litter and marine debris. That was up from 50 volunteers collecting 2,120 pounds in 2021 and 34 volunteers collecting 800 pounds in 2022.

“This year, we had our most successful event ever, collecting more than 1,000 pounds of trash an hour!” Preece exclaimed.

Matson provided powerful magnets this year to assist with the cleanup effort, allowing for a much more efficient and complete beach cleanup.

“You just drag them along the beach, and they suck up all the nails from pallet fires so kids and dogs that are out picnicking don’t step on a nail,” explained Preece.

In addition to providing cleanup funds and supplies, the Caring for Alaska program also provides a $2,500 unrestricted grant to support Kodiak KINDNESS’ mission to provide nutrition education and resources to parents of newborns.

Caring for Alaska volunteers of all ages wearing bright yellow vests pose for a picture with their trash grabbers.
Alaska nonprofit Kodiak KINDNESS hosted its third annual cleanup event.

 

Anchorage Students Care for Alaska

Students wearing yellow Caring for Alaska vests carry rope debris on the muddy shoreline.
Students collected more than 60 pounds of rope from Emerald Bay in the Chugach National Forest.

On April 27, students from an Anchorage high school were bussed to the port community of Whittier and loaded onto two landing craft to clean the remote beaches in Prince William Sound. The purpose of the trip, led by teacher Catherine Walker, was to remove marine debris and to help the students better understand the importance of environmental stewardship and the impact of pollution on the environment.

Walker, a marine biology teacher, and nominee for 2023 Alaska Teacher of the Year, had brought smaller groups on similar trips before but was able to increase participation to 39 students with Matson’s support.

“Thanks to Matson’s Caring for Alaska Program, we were able to double the participation in our remote beach cleanup this spring,” Walker stated. “By funding the charter, we were able to take students regardless of their family’s income level. All of my marine biology students were invited this year.”

In addition to providing the two chartered vessels, Matson also coordinated the donation of the group’s motorcoach transportation. “Students need to experience things like remote beach cleanup because right now we have a lot of huge issues, a lot of global issues that can feel overwhelming, and we are in a pandemic, and students’ mental health is at an all-time low,” Walker said.

A student wearing a yellow Caring For Alaska vest pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with a rusted section of a steel barrel, green garbage bags, grabbers, and a white bucket up a boat ramp.
Among the items found was a rusted section of steel barrel that had been used as a fire pit.

“For them to be empowered, they need to be able to make a change, feel like they can fix problems, and get out there and make the world better. So this kind of lights that fire in them and helps them figure out what they love to do and what they can do with the world.”

The group collected more than 480 pounds of marine debris, including almost 50 pounds of fishing net, more than 102 pounds of metals, and a kitchen sink of around 10 pounds.

In class the next day, the students sorted and logged the debris and traced the origins of some plastic items back to Russia. Patrick Simpson, owner of PKS Consulting, joined the class for the sorting–teaching them how some of the plastics they recovered can be used to produce recycled composite building materials.

Matson Relaunches Adahi I Tano' Program in Guam

Last month Matson’s team in Guam relaunched its Adahi I Tano’ (AIT) program! AIT encourages local nonprofit organizations to undertake cleanup projects that benefit the environment and allows them to raise $500 to support their community programs. Now in its eleventh year, Adahi I Tano’, which means “Take care of the Land” in CHamoru, has cleaned 187 sites throughout Guam since the program started.

Group picture of Adahi I Tano' volunteers wearing yellow vests in front of a Matson container.
The first cleanup of 2023 was completed by the Guam Women’s Masters Softball Club on May 6 in Hagåtña.

AIT contributes $500 to organizations that sign up and complete community projects and also provides all the supplies that groups need to conduct a cleanup project–trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and a 20-foot cargo container for collecting and transporting the garbage and recyclables away to proper disposal facilities.

“Adahi I Tano’ is one of our favorite programs because it allows us to uphold two of Matson’s long-held traditions at the same time: helping preserve and protect our natural environment while also supporting local nonprofit organizations already doing good work in our community,” said Patrick Bulaon, vice president and general manager, Guam and Micronesia. “We support their fundraising efforts, and they help keep Guam beautiful.”

Since its inception, Matson has invested more than $165,000 in the AIT program and has worked with about 100 nonprofit organizations on cleanup projects throughout the island. So far this year, the program has 24 projects planned for 2023.