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Ocean Friendly Gardens

The August 8th fires have left 3,720 acres of land even more vulnerable to wildfire and stormwater runoff 

The Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) is the Surfrider Foundation’s sustainable landscaping and education program that provides beautiful, inexpensive and natural solutions to reduce polluted runoff and to support resilient coasts. Additionally, Maui's OFG program is focused on developing resources and supporting programs that incorporate fire-resilient landscaping as well as plants that can help clean up fire-contaminated soil. 

Slow the Flow

OFG standards use a nature-based approach everywhere possible: contouring landscapes for rainwater retention; creating living soil to sponge up water, filtering pollution, sequestering carbon; and installing climate-appropriate & native plants to create wildlife habitat and a sense of place.

 

Treecovery Collaboration

Surfrider Maui Chapter is thrilled to be collaborating with Treecovery Hawai`i, whose mission is to keep trees in the fire zone alive and provide trees for no charge to the residents and businesses in Lāhainā and Kula that lost their trees in the wildfire. 

link to blog
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 CPR: Conservation Permeability & Retention

Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) revive our under-hydrated watersheds and polluted oceans by applying CPR – Conservation, Permeability, and Retention – to our landscapes and hardscapes:

  • C – Conserve water and wildlife habitats with native or climate-appropriate plants.

  • P – Permeable, living soil and hard surfaces that runoff to landscapes to filter pollutants, sponge up water for plants to tap into during dry months, and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

  • R – Retain rain as the first source of irrigation.

 

OFG sign

Ocean Friendly Garden Criteria

Does your yard or community space meet our Ocean Friendly Gardens standards? If all criteria are met, you can be an ambassador for ocean-friendly gardening with an OFG yard sign and a spot on our OFG map (coming soon). 

OFG criteria

Post-Fire Landscaping: Phytoremediation and Fire resilient landscaping

An estimated 25,000 trees alone were lost in the Lahaina and Kula fires. Our landscapes have drastically changed and we are left with bare ground and highly flammable landscapes as we enter the dry and windy season. Time is of the essence to revegetate residences and businesses as they finish going through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Debris cleaning process.  

In addition to preventative fire-resilient landscaping measures, many residents adn businesses are left with soils that have elevated levels of toxic substances including heavy metals. Integrating plants with phytoremediation capabilities (plants that can clean up soils, air, water) is also a priority. 

Surfrider Maui Chapter is dedicated to creating and providing resources to residents and businesses in the burn zone that will help them make informed, community minded choices when rebuilding on their property.

Resources

Fire resilient landscaping in Hawai`i


Benefits of Ocean Friendly Gardens

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council - Reef Friendly Landscaping program

Treecovery Hawai`i


 

 

 

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