My name is Avery, I’m 13 years old, and I’ve lived in Hawaii for most of my life. The lagoons in Kapolei are my home, and they’re also home to Hawai‘i’s sea turtles.

Not that long ago, I wanted to help the turtles. One day at Paradise Cove, I even fed them seaweed from the rocks, thinking I was doing the right thing. Later, I learned that feeding turtles actually hurts them. It causes something called habituation, which means they start relying on people instead of their instincts to survive. That realization made me feel really sad, but it also made me want to take action.

That’s why I started Pu‘ulu Honu, which means “group of turtles” in Hawaiian. I don’t want anyone else to make the same mistake I did simply because they didn’t know. Through this project, I hope to bring together students, families, resorts, and visitors to protect not only Ko Olina’s turtles but all the honu on our island, through education, community service, and stewardship.

My goal is simple: to share what I’ve learned, to inspire others to care, and to make sure the honu stay safe and free for generations to come.