COMMUNITY SCIENCE :: PA‘ĒPA‘Ē O WAIKOLU
On a sunny morning in February, a group of third graders from Wai‘alae Elemen- tary School lined up shoulder to shoulder across a shin-deep section of Mānoa Stream. They each held open an A-frame ‘ōpae net and waited as another line of students 25 meters upstream marched toward them, herding the fish into their nets, eager to see what animals would be captured and crossing their fingers that someone would find an elusive, native to Hawai‘i ‘o‘opu (freshwater goby). A FTER BRINGING THEIR NETS UP and laying them out on the grassy bank of the stream, the eight year olds parsed out their catch like Halloween candy — catfish, ders, who were reluctant to leave. “You’re scientists! It’s happening!”
Yap and Charuk are the coordinators of Pa‘ēpa‘ē o Waikolu, a consortium of kindergarten through 12th grade public, private, and charter schools committed to restoring the health of O‘ahu’s Ala Wai watershed. Over the past nine years, more than 20,000 students have performed stream assessments at 20 different sites across Mānoa,Pālolo,and Makiki Streams.The curricula students follow teach them about Hawai‘i’s unique native freshwater species and the effects of human influence on their populations. Prior to their field trips to the stream sites, Yap and Charuk visit classrooms to familiarize students with the equipment they will use and teach them how to identify the fish. Zooming out, they also explain that the presence of native fish is an indicator of stream health. “Because these animals live in that space through their entire lives, their abundance, their disappearance, and their diversity matters,” Yap shares with them. Zooming out even further, Yap and Charuk discuss with students why healthy streams are essential. Eventually it clicks in the students’ minds that by removing invasive fish, they are actively contributing to community conser-
smallmouth bass, crayfish, guppies, mollies and more. Disappointingly, they found no ‘o‘opu or other native species. But there was much squealing and shrieking as they picked up the invasives — in particular, the larger suckermouth catfish — and placed them into a bucket to be removed from the site and converted into fertilizer. That task completed, the kids moved on to their next exercise, studying the stream to make observations about turbidity and shade. Afterward, they listened to a mo‘olelo about Kahalaopuna, the legendary princess of Mānoa Valley, while eating snacks. Three groups moved through this same rotation that morning until all 80 students completed their stream bioassessments. ‘Iolani School educator and aquatic biologist Cory Yap wrapped up the field trip by announ- cing that the students had removed 126 invasive fish of 11 different species.The data collected would be added to the most extensive dataset on streams in this watershed, compiled primarily by students just like them. “You’re researchers!” said ‘Iolani School Community Science specialist Andi Charuk, praising the third gra-
VOL.63 I NO.3 I 2025 I 21
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