More than 300 elementary school students gathered at a state park recently to discuss the future of a local watershed. They were a part of "Roots and Wings," a community-based program that uses the Kane'ohe Bay Watershed as a living classroom for applied learning.

Children from grades 4 to 6 participated in a mini-regional council to discuss the problems confronting the bay and to explore ways to solve them. The half-day event culminated a year-long study, providing an opportunity to tie-in what they learn in the classroom with an actual hands-on activity.

"A lot of people talk about community service and what they think is that you have to go and do a clean-up," says Roots and Wings coordinator Amy Luersen. "But participating in meetings is also community service in a different form. We want kids to understand that as well."

The conference began with each class of students representing the interests of each stakeholder group (for example, birds, commercial recreation, subsistence fishermen, etc.) in the bay. Each class met with a resource person who presented background information and guided them in a process of clarifying the scope of interest for that specific group. For example, recreational users includes the concerns of kayakers, jet skiers, boaters, etc. Students identified what the interest group needed from the bay such as access or moorage points, etc., and outlined what the threats or conflicts to these needs were such as commercial fishing.

Ten students were selected from each interest group to represent the group' interests on ten mini-Councils. The overriding purpose for the "regional councils" was to find common ground and develop a list of recommendations to present to the Kane'ohe Bay Regional Council, the in-place citizens advisory group formed four years ago to review and implement the Kane'ohe Bay Master Plan.

The students' suggestions included: setting limits on fishing and commercial activity; designating restricted areas to protect sensitive natural resource; providing more enforcement officers to monitor activities; establish an education program to save the bay; limit development around the bay; promote community stewardship; and reduce pollution.

While some students were discussing the bay, over 150 students took part in a clean-up of the state park, pulling mangrove and weeds, picking up litter, taking care of existing trees, and learning to work together on these tasks.

For more information, contact Amy Luersen, AICP, Roots and Wings coordinator, 47.102 Hui Kelu Place, Kane'ohe Hawaii, 96744.4617 or ph/fx 808.239.5603.