Figure 1. Photo of Marine amphibious assault vehicle plowing mudflats of Nu'upia Ponds, crushing invasive weeds and opening water channels to expand and improve Hawaiian stilt nesting and feeding opportunities (photo by D. Sensui, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1990, used with permission).

Ho'ola I Ka Aina (Restoring Health to the Land) Marine Corps Environmental Stewardship Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) is proud to announce a new phase in its ongoing environmental stewardship program on Mokapu Peninsula [MAP]. BACKGROUND For the past two decades, Marines have taken deliberate management actions to restore wildlife habitat at Nu'upia Ponds Wildlife Management Area -- a 482 acre wetland/waterbird habitat/historic fishpond complex on Mokapu Peninsula. Annual plow-like maneuvers of 26-ton Amphibian Assault Vehicles (Figure 1) within the pond shoreline mudflats have broken open thick mats of invasive pickleweed plants to improve Hawaiian stilt feeding and nesting opportunities. See: January 12, 2003 Honolulu Star Bulletin January 13, 2003 Honolulu Advertiser Extensive involvement by community volunteers (Figures 2a & 2b) and contractors (Figure 3) has removed 20 acres of alien mangrove trees, further restoring wildlife habitat and water quality; A steady growth in endangered Hawaiian stilt bird counts in the ponds from 60 to over 130 birds in the past 15 years pays tribute to the success of these efforts. Management plans for Nu'upia Ponds have been developed to ensure the biological and cultural integrity of the ponds will be sustained well into the 21st century. Continuing community education and involvement are essential ingredients in the success of these plans.

Figure 2a. Volunteers fine cleaning former mangrove area (photo by Diane Drigot) Figure 3. Contractor using giant chipper to reduce mangrove cuttings (photo by Mark Rauzon).	Figure 2b. Volunteers pull and gather mangrove seedlings (photo by Diane Drigot) Figure 4. Mokapu Girl Scouts building old tire, nest island for stilt nesting in Nu`upia Ponds (photo by Diane Drigot)

Volunteers from both on- and off-Base regularly help in service projects-mangrove removal, nest island building (Figure 4), nature trail tours and repair, sign construction, fish and bird counts, and water quality monitoring.

Together with these volunteers, Marines are developing a shared vision of ecosystem recovery possibilities. One of these visions is to restore health to the entire length of the Mokapu Watershed.

Figure 5. The neck of Mokapu Peninsula, seen here from high over Kailua Bay, is spanned by the shallow Nu`upia Ponds complex (USMC photo).

THE MOKAPU WATERSHED Running through the center of Mokapu Peninsula, a series of natural and man-made drainage ways funnel ground and surface water through the heart of Mokapu, spilling into Nu'upia Ponds, and Kane'ohe Bay. As water runs off the land into these drainage ways, it collects all the "leftovers" of human land uses (e.g., sediment, litter, fertilizer, pet waste, oil and grease from roads and parking lots). The living habits of all who occupy the watershed play a critical role in determining how much this "non-point source pollution" escapes into the drainage ways to adversely affect the health of the watershed for both humans and wildlife alike.

A CONTINUING WATERSHED PLANNING PROCESS

Additional watershed restoration activities are planned and budgeted at Mokapu and in streams adjacent critical Marine training lands on Bellows AFS in Waimanalo with community help.

• For further information on these activities and possibilities for volunteer involvement, contact the Watershed Restoration Program Coordinator, Dr. Diane Drigot, Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist, MCBH, phone 257-6920 x224.
• For further information about MCBH's full spectrum of environmental stewardship programs, consult the MCBH Environmental Compliance and Protection Department website.
• For further information about Mokapu Peninsula watershed, see the MCBH report titled: Mokapu: Manual for Watershed Health and Water Quality, posted in entirety at the U.S. Department of Defense's Environmental Security Office website.
• For a look at the wildlife in Nu'upia Ponds as observed by the students at Mokapu Elementary School and Kainalu Elementary School visit their 2002 CyberFair (webpage) entry: Nu`upia Ponds - Mokapu Bird Sanctuary.