Students enrolled in the JROTC Kealakehe High School took a field trip Wednesday morning to help park rangers, Americorps, and others cleanup the to the historic Aimakapa Fishpond.
Some 25 pupils gathered at the ponds located within Kaloko-National Historical Park in North Kona to clear weeds, specifically pickleweed, which is invasive to the ponds.
For Madison Eilers, a junior at Kealakehe High School, the day meant a lot.
“The first year I was here, I had a great experience working with the community. I think it helps with team bonding. During COVID-19 we couldn’t come to the ponds, so I’m excited we get to be here. This day means a lot,” she said.
Classmate Jade Kaawa, also a junior in the JROTC program, agreed.
“It’s a special day. It gave me an opportunity to do community service especially with people who haven’t been here each year. So we get to show them how we did it. It gives us an opportunity to be leaders,” she said.
Eilers, whose father served in the U.S. Marines Corps., wants to pursue a career in the military, and then obtain her degree in mental health studies.
Another of her classmates, Mikey Evans, also a junior in the program, is considering joining the military as well.
“I like being in the ROTC program — it helps with getting into the military afterward. I’m still debating what I want to do but I think I’ll join the military, then go to college,” he said.
The group of students, ranging from freshmen to seniors at the Big Island’s largest high school, got to the ponds around 9:30 a.m to begin pulling pickleweed.
The cleanup was part of a large effort to restore the ponds — a project that began in 2016. The goal is to restore the Aimakapa area to a traditional, operating fish pond. Park rangers, Americorps volunteers and KUPU members (a part of Americorps) all gathered to clear the invasive plants.
The two most invasive plants are seashore paspalum grass, a salt-tolerant grass, and pickleweed. After the weeds are cleared out the next step in the pond restoration is to remove invasive fish — the talapia.
What else makes the ponds a historic landmark? The birds. Aimakapa Fishpond is a designated core wetland, which means it’s home to endangered birds, like the ae’o. The area’s also one of the few viable breeding habits left in West Hawaii for the ae’o, also known as the Hawaiian stilt.
“We’re in nesting season now for the birds, from about March to August, and so as we restore the fish ponds, we’re also restoring suitable habitat at for endangered birds,” said Jackson Letchworth, the supervising park ranger.
He also noted that once the fish ponds are restored, the park will be able to harvest fish that will be given back to the community.
Bernard Garcia, who teaches the JROTC class, sees the field trip as a way to thank the community and offer support.
“Our students have been asking to come here, last year we couldn’t do this. I want to thank the park rangers and this little community here for letting us do this,” he said.
Garcia retired from the U.S. Army in June 2020 and has been teaching since January 2021.
“This is my first time working with students and it’s a blessing to have been selected to teach at high school,” he concluded.