Volunteers and members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I teamed up Friday to clean trash from the side of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway.
Since the Mauna Loa eruption began Nov. 27, thousands have stopped on the highway to see the lava, and many left garbage or items behind.
As the wind whipped, the Royal Order led a pule honoring the kupuna who cannot witness the eruption.
“We are here to clean the land for Pele and to do our part, since she has been so good to us,” said Paul Neves of the Royal Order. “She does not need to clear the man-made things if she comes this way.”
After meeting at Pu‘u Huluhulu, members split up to clean the pu‘u, the side of the road, the lava fields and the location of the Thirty Meter Telescope protests.
Unmanned temporary structures at the TMT protest location also were removed, so if lava comes down, there won’t be too much to move, according to Neves.
Volunteers packed pounds and pounds of trash into a Hawaii County dumpster after doing their part to preserve the landscape for Pele’s potential arrival.
According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the lava flow near the highway has stalled, and active flows remain above 10,000 feet.