Sustainable Urban Area Projects

Bioretention 

Our island urban areas can potentially generate a large amount of polluted water that can cause problems for our communites, water ways and coastal coral reefs.  When contaminated water from washing vehicles, spraying pesticides and other human activities enters our waters it can cause many forms of damage.  However, there are actions we can take to reduce and mitigate these impacts, such as creating biofilters near areas where known contaminates can enter our waterways. 

County of Maui Public Works

Tipu Tipu worked with the County of Maui’s Department of Public Works and the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative members to install a bio-filter at the counties Lāhaina baseyard.  Due to the hydrology of the area water from the county vehicles wash down was entering a nearby stream. A bio-filter was installed to help filter out any of the contaminants and nutrients present in the water runoff before it enters the stream.  This bio-fiter is composed of layers of different materials designed to absorb pollutants and extra nutrients.  Layers of charcoal, wood chips, soil and deep rooted, nutrient absorbing plants such as vetiver were installed as well as coconut coirs.  This bio-filter captured and treated water from the base yard and stormwater runoff, allowing harmful chemicals and nutrients to be filtered out before entering our nearshore coral reef communities. 

Kahana Solar Farm low impact design for solar fields 

Tipu Tipu Restoration and Sustainability has worked on sustainable commercial development projects helping them minimize their impact on the landscape and take steps to improve the wildlife surrounding their project. Working with green energy companies like Intergex Solar on the Kahana Solar Farm Project, Tipu Tipu helped with Low Impact Design for their solar fields as well as designing Best Management Practices along the top of stream gulches to reduce erosion and increase native forest cover and native species habitat adjacent to their site.