Located in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, the Hawaiian islands are some of the most isolated on earth. Hawai‘i is home to unique marine ecosystems, with a range of endemic species, 85% of America’s coral reef cover and an amazing array of migratory species relying on this remote archipelago. Based in Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu, our teams works throughout this beautiful region to protect, conserve, educate and collaborate.
“Our survival is inextricably linked
to the health of the oceans.”
Kahi Pacarro – Parley Hawai‘i
PARLEY AIR STATION Hawai‘i
Composed of modular container systems, Parley AIR Stations act as communal hubs for local communities and youth to meet, interact, learn, access new technologies and collaborate on solutions for the oceans. Together with local partners, Parley delivers educational programs, inspiring and empowering a new class of ambassadors for a global ocean movement.
Expanding our global programs, the latest Parley AIR Station is located on the grounds of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, the largest museum in Hawai‘i. Receiving over 200,000 visitors annually, the museum is the premier natural and cultural history institution in the Pacific, recognized worldwide for its cultural collections, scientific research, and public educational programming.
PADDLE THE WATER, TOGETHER
The Hawaiian culture shares intimate ancestral knowledge and shows the utmost respect for the oceans that surround us. Malama i ke kai, a local value that dates back over centuries, means to "care for or protect the ocean" and the chant of creation, the kumulipo, explains that all life began in the sea, that humanity is tied to all living things, especially marine life. The first living creature to appear in the kumulipo being the ko’a (coral); “Hanau ka ʻUku-koʻakoʻa, hanau kana, he ʻAkoʻakoʻa.”
In the Hawai‘i episode of our ongoing film series, we explore Indigenous knowledge and modern research with Parley collaborators and ambassadors living and working on the islands.
OCEAN UPRISE YOUTH LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
The ocean is our classroom and our teacher. In order to protect marine ecosystems and their inhabitants, we need to get to know and love them. There’s no better way to learn about the sea than through total immersion into the beautiful blue universe we’re fighting to preserve and protect. This belief guides the curriculum of Ocean Uprise, a Parley initiative – by youth, for youth – that blends ocean education and activism with exploration on, around, and in the marine environment.
Ocean Uprise Youth Leadership Summit was created as an unparalleled experience dedicated to empowering young leaders to accelerate change #fortheoceans. The 5-day summit happened on the North Shore of Oahu in 2019, with 28 youth participants from all around the globe, and focused on the scientific and cultural understanding of marine environments and the co-creation of solutions together with a world class line up of speakers. Special guests included Dr. Cliff Kapono, Emily Penn, Nainoa Thompson, Kai Lenny and Kimi Werner. Participants also experienced ocean immersion activities such as swimming, surfing and snorkeling and took action in the local community by actively participating in a coastal cleanup at James Campbell Wild Refuge Park.
COMMUNITY CLEANUPS
Even though Hawai‘i is known globally for its tropical beauty, blue waters, amazing surf and white sand beaches, its coastline accumulates marine debris from all directions across the Pacific. As Hawai‘i is situated in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre, drifting debris washes ashore every single day, some originating locally from litter and illegal dumping, but the vast majority brought by major ocean currents carrying the remnants of industrialized fishing and overconsumption of plastics. This debris creates numerous environmental and economic risks to Hawai‘i and the Pacific Ocean.
Parley Hawai‘i runs a variety of educational initiatives that create ocean awareness and collaborates with local organizations to carry out ocean immersion experiences as well as high impact missions, intercepting massive nets and discarded fishing gear before they destroy shoreline ecosystems and the local communities who depend on it.
SUPPORT OUR WORK IN Hawai‘i
Your support helps us tackle plastic pollution and other threats facing the oceans. All donations go directly to our global teams, helping to fund cleanups, education and infrastructure projects.
Thank You to ALL our Collaborators & ambassadors IN Hawai‘i
Adopt Na Pali
Bishop Museum
Changing Tides Foundation
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund (HWF)
Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation
Love the Sea
Nā Kama Kai
Polynesian Voyaging Society
Pulama Lanai
Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i
Zero Waste Oahu
Dr. Cliff Kapono
Mike Coots
Dr. Sarah-Jeanne Royer
Zane Kekoa Schweitzer
Greg Long
PARLEY Hawai‘i 🌺
Visit us at the Parley AIR Station
Bishop Museum
Honolulu, Oʻahu
Parley’s global network works to protect marine environments from plastic pollution and other threats. Through collaborative cleanups with local businesses and organizations, our teams and volunteers intercept plastic waste from beaches, remote islands, rivers, mangroves and coastal communities. Each country team shares our vision for healthier oceans globally, and works locally to champion the Parley AIR Strategy.
Since the inception of Parley for the Oceans, we’ve been able to intercept over 8.1 million kg of debris from the environment and coastal communities across the globe with the help of over 574,000 volunteers. We’ve also launched an extensive educational program, both virtual and physical. Our global cleanups and educational initiatives have reached over 1 million participants across 57 different countries and counting.