Helping hands needed to clean Lydgate Pond

WAILUA — Volunteers are needed to help clear the water at Morgan’s Pond at Lydgate Park for Saturday.

Tommy Noyes of the Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park said the group will continue to clear the water in the popular swimming pond by hand for at least Saturday, and again on Oct. 20 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

“Over the past year and a half, the water quality in the swimming ponds at Lydgate Park has been compromised due in part to the large amount of waterlogged driftwood trapped in them,” Noyes said in an email. “The Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park volunteers have removed — by hand — many tons of debris from the beach and the smaller keiki pond, but there remains a large mass of debris in the main pond at about three to seven feet of water.”

On Sept. 29, about 50 members of the Key Club from the high schools pulled about 1,000 pounds of debris out of the pond, Noyes said.

“Last week, more volunteers pulled debris from the ponds,” Noyes said. “For this Saturday and Oct. 20, volunteers will remove, by hand, as much of that waterlogged debris as we are able to. We’ll be most successful, if you come and lend a hand. The more helping hands the group has, the sooner the pond will be clean, again.”

Noyes said volunteers should bring a mask and snorkel, if comfortable with snorkeling.

Call 639-1018 for more information, or suggestions on helping out with this volunteer effort to clear the Morgan’s Pond waters.

Additionally, Noyes said he is accepting registration for the National Make A Difference Day event hosted by the Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park on Oct. 27 from 7:30 a.m. to noon, meeting at the Lydgate Park main pavilion.

Volunteers for the Make a Difference Day event should bring water bottle, work gloves, sun protection, shoes, and lots of smiles.

Lunch and treats will be served during the Oct. 27 event.

Visit www.kamalani.org, or call 245-5959 for more information.