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Graffiti Hunters of Hawaii
Graffiti Hunters of Hawaii have been relentless at tackling the graffiti tags defacing their sacred Pu'u Mountain in Wai'anae, Hawaii. In ancient Hawaiian culture the Pu'u mountains were revered as ancestors. "We felt compelled to respond to a calling of our forefathers," says Gary Goodhue, the group's leader. The team, a group of about seven capable mountain climbers with an adventurous spirit, is committed to remove graffiti that is degrading the mountains, caves, cinder cones, and rock faces of their sacred land.
They begin by conducting several hours of surveillance from ground level to determine what is needed to eradicate the graffiti. They identify the actual size of the tags, amount of time and effort to reach each site, necessary supplies, and any clearances need to cross private or public lands. With this "leg work" complete, they begin the trek to scale hard to reach areas on the mountain and remove the graffiti. Tagged areas range in size from 4 inches to 40 feet. They sometimes have to use a ground level spotter to give directions to graffiti locations during removal operations.
To eradicate the graffiti, the Graffiti Hunters use a special black tar mixture that blends with the natural color of the volcanic rock. It is applied with a modified pressurized spray to reach heights of up to 30 feet. The tar based mixture is environmentally safe, dries quickly, and is weathered rapidly.
Graffiti Hunter are self funded, but have also received support from Nani'O Wai'ane, the local Keep America Beautiful affiliate, as well as individuals and other groups. Their most ardent support is a woman named Puna who believes in what they are doing and has contributed thousands of dollars for supplies and equipment. In operation for seven years, the team has logged in 123 man hours in just the past 12 months, and have worked with students from two local high schools on eradication and community awareness.
And they are starting a dialogue in the community about the need to protect their land for future generations. Because Graffiti Hunters has refused to give up at stopping graffiti, eventually taggers are stopping. "They realize that we are just as committed to eradication as they are to tagging," says Goodhue.
