Volunteers unite to defend critical road in Hawaii from erosion » Yale Climate Connections

The road connecting the communities of northern O‘ahu in Hawaii passes by Punalu‘u Beach, a narrow public park.

But sea level rise and other threats are increasing erosion at Punalu‘u Beach – putting both the park and the road at risk.

Laramee: “This is an area that, again, is connected by one road in, one road out … and if we lose the road there, then we’ll lose that community as well.”

Leah Laramee is with Hawaii’s state climate commission.

The state has been studying some long-term options for protecting Punalu‘u Beach, including adding sand to the beach.

But the community wanted to take immediate action, too – so in March, volunteers helped plant native plants in the beach’s sand dunes.

Laramee says these plants help prevent erosion by stabilizing the beach while still allowing for the slow, natural movement of sand.

Laramee: “We were hoping to get you know like 20 odd people, but we ended up getting 75 volunteers, which was just so amazing to see so many people come out and care for the space there.”

Laramee says since then, residents have continued to weed and water the new plants – helping to protect their beach, road, and communities from erosion as sea levels rise.

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media