Taking the Sand. (Honolulu, Volcano: buy, college, camping)

[Badatta2de]

My bad I guess. I have never seen anyone fill up a gallon bag of sand. Why would anyone?

[AlohaHuey]

Originally Posted by Badatta2de

My bad I guess. I have never seen anyone fill up a gallon bag of sand. Why would anyone?

Some people collect sand from the beaches they visit, and take it back to make shadowbox crafts and the like. Sometimes, they make several, so they load up. Or they make little sand scenes and decorate them with shells and little tiny beach toys. In particular, the black and green sand because it's a novelty. It's a cheap collectible/souvenier.

[Badatta2de]

Most of the mass produced stuff like at Walmart is just colored salt. I'm guilty I guess I took home a quarter size dollop of green sand. didn't take it very far really lol. Its resting atop my store bought white coral sand that is in a jar I use to burn small candles.

[HI101]

Well, now that the airlines are charging so much for checked baggage (and weighing it!), people are cutting back on how much luggage they check, so there is less room for tourists to steal sand. :0

But on a serious note, of unquestionable concern is the quarrying of Puu Hina'i near Waikoloa. When a Puu can be cut away truckload by truckload, that destruction of the aina is something the public should be alarmed about.

[Galactastica]

When thinking about the trucked in sand that waikiki and some other resorts have, think of it this way. These are areas where sand was once naturally dispersed. At some point, whether it was tides changing or it's supply changing, the sand was removed or depleted. The resort or area, however, still needs a beach, so they have to do something to keep one there, ie, bring it in themselves. If the sand in Waikiki leaves, then the ocean moves to the buildings (obvious problem there...) and no more tourists. The Ocean constantly moves the waikiki sand out into off shore sand bars and such. As much as this isn't human-made errosion, it's a fine example of the ways beaches, sand and other things in nature come and go. There just isn't any logical reason for us to add to it's cycle, esspecially not take away from it.

[OpenD]

One thing that is not just superstition, based on experience, is the bad luck you get from taking rocks from the volcano. Pele really doesn't like it. And every year the park receives thousands of packages from tourists sending it back, once they found out the curse is real.

[salegoi1]

This happens all over the world, not just Hawaii. My first time will be in March and not only will I not take any sand I'm not going to touch any coral or chase any turtles. That makes me mad to see and hear people destroying some of the most beautiful places on Earth. If they want to take anything, maybe they can try taking some of those 'Hawaiian' pigs

[sarahrose]

I actually just got back from there..I too had a small little baggie of black sand and a few lava rocks...after reading all the stuff about bad luck and eco related threads I left them there..but not before taking a bunch of really good photos!! Would I have LOVED that beautiful piece of shiny lava rock?? YES....but ultimately I left it there. There was a guy in Kona who had a little jar of the green sand..now THAT was beautiful!!

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by sarahrose

I actually just got back from there..I too had a small little baggie of black sand and a few lava rocks...after reading all the stuff about bad luck and eco related threads I left them there..but not before taking a bunch of really good photos!! Would I have LOVED that beautiful piece of shiny lava rock?? YES....but ultimately I left it there. There was a guy in Kona who had a little jar of the green sand..now THAT was beautiful!!

Mahalo nui loa for loving the aina, and leaving the sand and rocks behind when you returned home. That way they'll still be here for you and others to enjoy when you return! Which you should do soon. And often.

[sarahrose]

My sister had taken some lava pieces too, but right before we left she put them back...with the sand too, lol!! she was only going to show her kids in her classroom the lava and use it for a teaching piece, and someone had asked her to bring back a little black sand....but after hearing all the locals telling her how it was not eco friendly to take stuff from the islands she also returned everything. I will visit again...and get to that green sand beach next time....it looked beautiful!!! And no, I won't take any sand....but I will sink my feet in it and take lots of pictures!!! Sand+feet= free pedicure!!