Avasol x Sea Trees: Buy One, Restore One September Campaign

As surfers and ocean lovers, it is our Kuleana, or our duty, to be stewards and give back to the places we love. At Avasol, supporting ocean conservation through nonprofits like Sea Trees is at the center of our mission. For the month of September, for every Avasol product sold, we will restore 1 square foot of watershed in Maui, Hawaii. Stock up on Avasol this month and know your dollars are having a real impact!

So why is restoring the watershed important? Doing so sequesters carbon, improves water quality, and helps the reefs to thrive. Read on to learn more!

As all life is connected by the ocean, the work Sea Trees does to protect this watershed translates into a better quality of life for people on Maui, and maintains the quality of the waves for the surfers there! 

Watch the campaign video to get a look into the real impact of our partnership with Sea Trees. 

THE OCEAN HAS SUPERPOWERS!

Yep, 90% of all carbon in the global carbon cycle is stored in the ocean. This is where it should be sequestered to reverse climate change.

Mangrove forests “suck” aka sequester, 5-10 times more CO2 out of the atmosphere per hectare than tropical rainforests. Much of that carbon is stored in the soil and sediment that make up a mangrove ecosystem.

Globally, kelp forests sequester as much CO2 as mangrove forests. 10% of kelp breaks off and sinks into the deep ocean - sequestering the CO2 it contains. The conservation of these ecosystems is critical to solving climate change and will protect the habitats of over 700 species of algae, invertebrates, and fish.

Known as the “rainforests of the sea,” coral reefs are the largest living structures on earth and support 25% of marine life. The conservation of these ecosystems is vital to coastal protection, scientific research, medication, fishing, eco-tourism, and more. Using reef-safe sunscreens like Avasol is imperative to maintaining coral reef health, by ensuring we don't introduce substances that are toxic to the marine life.

Seagrasses are one of the most widely found ecosystems on the planet. In fact, seagrass is found along the coast of every continent except Antarctica. Found in shallow, salty, and brackish waters, they only cover roughly 0.2% of the sea floor globally, are are responsible for about 11% of the organic carbon buried in the ocean.

THIS PROJECT:

• Protects 10,000 sq-ft of critical watershed
• Provides jobs to the local community
• Produces 40,000+ lbs of food which Is given away to the local community
• Provides educational opportunities to the local community and visiting schools
• Protects critical habitat in the watershed and offshore coral reefs
• Protects vulnerable species

To learn more, please visit the project page on their website here.

WHERE ARE SEA TREES RESTORING COASTAL WATERSHEDS RIGHT NOW AND WHAT IMPACT IS IT HAVING?

Sea Trees have partnered with Regenerative Education Centers (REC) to support the regeneration of 10,000 sq-ft of critical coastal watershed, known in the Hawaiian language as an Ahupua’a. The two Mokus (or districts) within the Ahupua’a coastal watershed systems, Maliko Gulch and Launiupoko, have faced decades of mismanagement. This year, we are focusing on our project site on Maui’s West Side – which combines both the practices of regenerative farming and watershed restoration, using native Hawaiian “SeaTrees” like Ulu, Milo and other “voyaging” plants to rebuild soil health and protect the coral reefs, that lie just beyond the project site at the family-friendly Launiupoko Beach Park.

HOW IS MY “DONATION” SPENT?

Most of the money we receive for a specific project goes toward that project. This includes the restoration itself, as well as assessments/auditing of the project, site visits and regular meetings with the project managers, developing content and stories, and updating our website with progress updates. We hold a portion of the donation to invest in new and start-up blue carbon and research projects that meet our assessment criteria. Like all non-profits, we also use a portion to fund the operations of our organization. As a registered non-profit, our financials are publicly available - and approximately 15-20% of our income goes towards operational expenses.

WHY BLUE CARBON PROJECTS?

Unlike other tree planting and carbon offset programs and projects around the world, the sole focus of SeaTrees is on blue carbon coastal ecosystems. As surfers and ocean-lovers, we choose these spaces because they’re places where we play. As environmentalists and ocean-health activists, we focus on blue carbon ecosystems because:

• They’re highly effective at carbon sequestration.
• They’re critical ecosystems on the verge of collapse.
• Methods exist to restore and regenerate these ecosystems.
• The story to protect ocean health is powerful and compelling.
• It’s not too late to act, but we must act fast. 

HOW CAN I MAKE AN IMPACT?

By stocking up on Avasol this month, you are making an impact! 10% of your dollars are donated directly to this project; for every Avasol product sold, we will restore 1 square foot of mangroves in Maui. Together, we can compound our impact, so make sure to tell your friends and all support Avasol x Sea Trees this month :)