How You Can Help

 

Hō‘ailona Take A Minute For Nature

For those interested in donating directly to monk seals: 


Hō‘ailona’s Care and Hawaiian Monk Seal Research

  1. Contact:

  2. The Marine Mammal Physiology Project (specify monk seal, TM Williams)

  3. Center for Ocean Health

  4. 100 Shaffer Road

  5. University of California – Santa Cruz

  6. Santa Cruz, CA 95060

  7. http://www.mmpp.ucsc.edu


Hawaiian Monk Seal Rehabilitation

  1. Contact: 

  2. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Response Team Oahu

  3. http://hmsrto.org

SHOW Hō‘ailona YOUR LOVE - SHOW Hō‘ailona YOUR GARBAGE

Monk seals love garbage – they play with it, chew on it, and sleep on it.  Unfortunately, they also get entangled in it.  And sometimes this game can kill.


Pollution from our neighborhoods is entering the rivers and the ocean.  It is harming the animals of the seas including Hō‘ailona’s monk seal family.   In fact entanglement in old fishing lines, nets, plastic bags, broken plastic bottles and other debris injure or kill Hawaiian monk seals as well as dolphins and whales around the world every day. 

Hawaiian monk seal entangled in rope on beach

(NOAA Fisheries Photo Library)

It is also the easiest problem to solve – if you get involved.  


Here are TWO important things that you can do to help Hō‘ailona and the marine environment.

  1. 1.Clean a beach, a river, the ocean and your own neighborhood.  (Remember water ultimately connects you to Hō‘ailona.)   Take a picture of the garbage that you’ve collected and tell Hō‘ailona about it.  Post your story on his Facebook or send it to him at williams@biology.ucsc.edu.  We’ll tell the world how you did your part to help. 


  1. 2.Stop using plastic bottles and plastic bags.  Tell your friends and family how these are hurting the animals of the oceans.  A simple solution is to use your own water/drink bottle rather than buying a new plastic bottle every time you want a drink. If you pledge to do this Hō‘ailona will send you a cool sticker (like the one above) to put on your water bottle.  Post your story and a picture of you and your water bottle on his Facebook page and send the address you want your stickers sent to williams@biology.ucsc.edu.

Hō‘ailona and his cool new water bottle.

(Photo by T.M. Williams, NMFS Permit No. 932-1905)

(Photo by T.M. Williams, NMFS Permit No. 932-1905)

(Photo by T.M. Williams, NMFS Permit No. 932-1905)

A chin rest ...

And a pillow.

Also suitable as ...

Everyone can help! 

Individuals, families, friends, your class, and your school can make a difference. 

Here are some people that have already helped.

Hō‘ailona’s Heroes:

Val Bloy is the First Hō‘ailona Hero – together with her friends she donated her time to pick up a carload of marine debris on the west end of Moloka‘i.

Members of the UCSC Marine Mammal Biology Class of 2010


Kayla Griffin and Meggie Rosendahl

Amy Roget’s trash from Seabright in Santa Cruz

Mathew White’s trash for Earth Day

Stephanie Field’s awesome Seabright Beach trash for Earth Day.

Make a Young Monk Seal’s Dream Come True


Hō‘ailona has been inspiring cleanup efforts across America and beyond (see his cool YouTube video by CLICKING HERE).  Before he returns back to the Hawaiian Islands he would like to do one thing - connect friends in every U.S. State (and other countries too!) to help cleanup pollution that can harm wildlife.  Connecting people is the key to conservation!


Helping is simple - pick up litter or debris anywhere you are and send a photo to Hō‘ailona.  We will color in the map below with your state (we will even add continents for international friends).  Contact friends and relatives in other states or around the world and ask them to help clean up the environment, send photos and fill in the entire global map.


Help save wildlife from our pollution - and make a young monk seal’s dream a reality!

Hō‘ailona’s Heroes!  Green states indicate where cleanup efforts for Hō‘ailona have already occurred.

Read below on how you can participate!