RESTORING THE WETLAND AHUA REEF

Story by Danny Hayes / Photos by Melvin Gonzalvo Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

Aslight turn off of Mamala Bay Drive, near the Hickam Harbor marina, a flock of brown and white birds fly toward an empty wetland area near the beach. The flock is here for the winter, and they plan to return home to the Arctic for the summer months. These are not the birds that Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) natural resource manager, Sarah Howard, is looking for however. She is looking for a bird that is native to Hawaii, but also lives near this area.

The Ahua Reef extends south from the shoreline of JBPHH out into the Pacific. Migratory water shorebirds use the restored wetlands here as a temporary seasonal residence, and the endangered Hawaiian Stilt uses this location as its home.

“This is one of their favorite spots to hang out here,” said Howard. “The Hawaiian Stilt is an endangered Hawaiian waterbird. It loves this, like, muddy kind of wetland area where it’ll forage for insects and crustaceans and things like that. So that’s our primary species that we see here. And it’s kind of the habitat that we maintain is mostly for the Hawaiian stilts.”

The Navy’s natural resource program manages this part of the coast. The team is comprised of professional scientists who have knowledge of the local ecosystems here in Hawaii. They work to ensure the military complies with the federal laws that protect these resources.

“Another reason that we manage this area is to meet Sikes Act requirements,” Howard said. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Sikes Act calls for the cooperation between Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Interior to carry out a program for the conservation and rehabilitation of natural resources on military installations. “Each DoD installation has to maintain and conserve its natural resources as best as it can while maintaining the mission.”

The work required to maintain an area like the Ahua Reef Wetland is quite a lot and at times filled with challenges. Invasive plants, like mangrove and pickle weed, grow rapidly and can cover an area if there is not regular upkeep. Another challenge to the area is the constant loss of sand and shoreline due to coastal erosion. This is also something that the Navy natural resource team manages by having volunteers come in to plant native plant species along the coast.

Howard said, “Not only does it provide wetland habitat for the birds, but it’s also erosion control. With extreme tides like king tides, erosion control is a major concern. So the native plants offer great erosion control and shoreline stabilization.”

In April, service members and base employees will participate in Earth Day volunteer events. One of these opportunities will be to help with cleaning and restoration projects here at the Ahua Reef Wetland on Friday, April 21. Volunteers 12 years old and up, are encouraged to participate. If you have any questions, send an e-mail to wildlife@hawaii.edu.

Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander, Navy Region Hawaii, greets individuals after speaking to an engineering class at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, March 3. The guest speakers were invited to speak about their background in engineering and its importance in their daily work. (Photo by MC2 Greg Hall) 1

Team Hickam personnel attend a Women’s History Month discussion panel at the Hickam Theater on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, March 17. (Photo by Sgt. Alan Ricker) 2

U.S. service members and veterans attend a ceremony for the 50th anniversary of Operation Homecoming, hosted by the Defense POW MIA Accounting Agency, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, March 28. (Photo by Staff Sgt. David Owsianka) 3

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The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) steams in the South China Sea while conducting operations with the Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Murasame-class destroyer JS Kirisame (DD 104), March 25., March 25. (Photo by MC1 Greg Johnson)

Col. Keith A. Young, 15th Wing vice commander and F-22 Raptor pilot, drives down the taxiway at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, March 9. (Photo by MC2 Bodie Estep) 5

1st Lt. Cassidy Mullen of the 535 AS/SQD talks with Aliamanu Middle School STEM students about the C-17 Globemaster III, its mission and capabilities, while sharing what it’s like to be a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, March 6 . (Photo by Joanne Tumacder) 6

Service members and civilians volunteered their time to pick up trash at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam as part of the quarterly “Love JBPHH cleanup campaign, March 24. (Photo by Joanne Tumacder) 7

A Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) contractor trims a support beam during repairs at Halawa, March 15. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class James Finney) 8

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Runners participate in a foam run at the Missing Man Trail in honor of Women’s History Month on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, March 22. The foam run was hosted by the 65th Airlift Squadron and was open to all military and civilian personnel with base access. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Ricker)

Musician 2nd Class Jaclyn Skeweris leads the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band down the streets of Waikiki during the annual Honolulu Festival Parade, March 12. (Photo by MU2 Chandler Davis) 10