May 2026 Aloha+ Workday

Hawaiʻi Green Growth continued the Aloha+ Workday Series in May in partnership with Surfrider Foundation Oʻahu at the Kakaʻako Ocean Friendly Garden. Surfrider Oʻahu is leading important work to protect clean water, preserve coastlines, reduce plastic pollution, and support community-based stewardship across Oʻahu, advancing the Aloha+ Goal of Smart Sustainable Communities, particularly Target 05: Land Use Impacts and Target 06: Open, Public, and Green Spaces. Our network and team came together to mālama this urban food forest by clearing storm drains, moving green waste, and pulling weeds — helping reduce stormwater runoff, support watershed health, and protect our ocean.

The Kakaʻako Ocean Friendly Garden demonstrates how green spaces in urban Honolulu can serve as practical, place-based solutions for healthier communities and coastlines. Home to edible plants including ʻulu, maiʻa, lilikoʻi, and more, the garden supports Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Gardens model by retaining rainwater, improving permeability, reducing polluted runoff, and bringing more green space into the built environment. Through hands-on stewardship, community members helped strengthen a living example of how urban land use can better support people, place, and ocean health.