Service Members Volunteer to Clean Up Wildlife Refuge

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip Pavlovich | 160803-N-QL961-055 HALEIWA, Hawaii (Aug. 3, 2016) - Sailors and Airmen attached to Hawaii based commands and Royal New Zealand Navy Sailors attached to HMNZS Te Kaha (F77) participate in a beach cleanup at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge at Haleiwa, Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016. Twenty-six nations, 49 ships, six submarines, about 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel participated in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships between participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2016 was the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Phillip Pavlovich/Released)  

HALEIWA, HI, UNITED STATES

08.03.2016

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip Pavlovich 

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

HALEIWA, Hawaii (NNS) - Sailors and Airmen attached to Hawaii-based commands and Royal New Zealand Navy Sailors attached to the HMNZS Te Kaha (F77) participated in a beach cleanup at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge at Haleiwa, Hawaii Aug. 3, during Rim of the Pacific 2016.

The refuge covers more than 160 acres of wetland habitat on Oahu and provides sanctuary for Hawaii's endangered waterbirds, migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, seabirds, endangered and native plants, endangered Hawaiian monk seals, and threatened green sea turtles.

“Having both military forces working together, hand-in-hand, for a common cause that we are fighting for was a very proud moment. Everyone worked tirelessly, and the results proved that,” said Hayden Smith, New Zealand Sea Cleaners program representative. “We were able to remove a significant and concentrated volume of marine litter in a relatively short amount of time, due to the work ethics of the military.”

Sea Cleaners initiated the cleanup with RIMPAC participants and Navy Region Hawaii support. Smith and members from Ocean Aid and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked alongside service members to remove debris. Throughout the day, volunteers removed an estimated three tons of debris from approximately half of the 2-mile shoreline the refuge beach covers.

"I enjoyed myself quite a bit, and I know that all the services that were there definitely had an impact on the wildlife refuge," said Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) 1st Class Andreas Zahn, a volunteer attached to Hopper Information Services Center.

“The military volunteers expended a lot of energy removing the marine debris. They were able to pull several heavy abandoned fishing nets off the beach. Those nets are normally too heavy for most of the volunteers we have helping on cleanups, so they would not have been removed without the military assistance,” said Joseph Schwagerl, Hawaiian Islands Oahu and Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex project manager.

Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships between participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2016 was the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

• Date Taken: 08.03.2016
• Date Posted: 08.11.2016 13:10
• Story ID: 206723
• Location: HALEIWA, HI, US