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During its 50th anniversary celebration, Sierra Club Maui is recognizing individuals in the community who have made significant contributions to help the environment.
They include:
• Moananuiakea Award -- Sol Kaho'ohalahala and Ekolu Lindsey for their global efforts to educate about the threats of deep-sea mining.
• Onipa'a Awards -- Shay Chan-Hodges and Ian Chan-Hodges for their longtime advocacy for environmental and economic justice; and Kekai Keahi, Kapali Keahi and Archie Kalepa for their leadership to restore stream flows and kalo growing in Maui Komohana.
• Ola i ka Wai Award -- Chris Shuler for his dedication to community-based water testing programs and promotion of public water safety education and research.
• Community Spirit Awards -- Krank Cycles owner Aaron "Moose" Reichert for his dedication to trail maintenance and providing bikes to local keiki; Flatbread Pizza for its dedication to locally sourced ingredients and continuing support of local nonprofits; Pacific Birth Collective for its support for Maui's moms and moms-to-be; and Common Ground Collective for boosting food security and supporting farmers.
• Volunteer of the Year -- Anne Schultz, a Sierra Club hike leader.
• Hoʻokaulike Award -- Lance Collins and Bianca Isaki for their representation of many community members and groups seeking justice.
In Memoriam:
• Becky Lau (1945-2026) was a nurse at Haiku School for many years, treasurer of the Haiku PTA and active with the Native Hawaiian Plant Society. She also volunteered with Maui Nui Botanical Gardens since it began. She served as a docent, leading community and school tours focused on Hawaiian ethnobotany, culture and ecology. For her dedication, she was recognized as a Maui County Volunteer Hero in 2015 and given Maui Nui's Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award on Arbor Day in 2023. A longtime Haiku resident, Lau was the driving force behind creating and maintaining the native plant and sculpture gardens at Haiku Elementary School for more than 20 years, exposing thousands of children to local ecology.
• Marta Sweeney, (1959-2026) who helped many people and brightened many lives. A social worker by training, Sweeney worked with children who had learning disabilities, helped care for animals and volunteered with Sierra Club Maui and other organizations for many years. She was awarded Sierra Club's Volunteer of the Year award about 20 years ago.