To honor June 8th World Oceans Day, 18 plus federal, state, county, not-for-profits and social businesses gathered at lovely Hāpuna Beach (Hawaiʻi Island) to mālama ʻāina.
Mālama ʻāina means to take care of nature
mālama = to take care
ʻāina = nature, land/earth
In Hawaiʻi and other earth-based cultures, ʻāina or nature is considered our Mother.
This short 2 minute video was shot at Hāpuna under the shade of a Heliotrope. Listen carefully to hear the rolling surf 🌊🌞
We hauled an obscene amount of debris from the ocean, beach and parking lot including cigarette butts, plastic bags, food boxes, car parts, shattered beer bottles and other articles too gross to mention.
As we worked side-by-side, all conversations lead to the same conclusion.
Through practicing mālama ʻāina – taking care of our mother, we in turn are taken care of by her in bountiful ways.
In addition to supplying our food, lessons learned through cultivating an intimate relationship with ʻāina grows our spiritual, mental and physical fortitude.
We become more resilient and sustainable myriad ways. And likewise, so does the ʻāina that we care for.
How do you mālama ʻāina, and what are your experiences?
Together, letʻs build a more sustainable world and global commons through mālama ʻāina!
E mālama pono – Take care of your light within!
