5 MIN READ
02-12-2026
From Shorelines to Sacred Wetlands: Frank Family Vineyards and 4ocean Deepen Their Commitment in Maui
4ocean Partnerships
When you stand on the shoreline in Maui, you quickly understand that the ocean does not end at the water’s edge. It flows into wetlands, fishponds, reefs, and communities, shaping everything around it. On January 29, 2026, that truth came into sharp focus as 4ocean joined Frank Family Vineyards for their most meaningful cleanup to date.
This day was not simply about collecting plastic. It was about protecting a living system that has nourished Hawaiian ecosystems and people for generations.
Frank Family Vineyards has been a proud certified cleanup partner of 4ocean since 2025, committing to remove 25,000 pounds of trash and plastic from oceans, rivers, and coastlines each year. Across two years, that means 50,000 pounds of debris kept out of the water. Their partnership has already taken volunteers to Napa, Chicago, Seattle, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island, with more cleanups continuing across the United States in 2026.
Yet Maui represented something different. Something deeper.
What began as a shoreline cleanup quickly revealed itself to be part of a much larger restoration effort. Just steps inland lies a historic Hawaiian fishpond and wetland system that has been under careful restoration for years. Local practitioners and scientists are working together to bring water back into the wetlands, strengthening near shore reef health, improving wildlife habitat, and restoring balance to a system that once thrived.
Plastic does not stay where it lands. On islands, it circulates through tides, currents, and storms. Every bottle, fragment, or tangled net removed from the beach reduces what could eventually reach coral, fish, seabirds, and turtles. In that sense, the volunteers were not just cleaning a beach. They were actively supporting the recovery of an interconnected ecosystem.
Guided by traditional Hawaiian stewardship practices alongside modern ecological science, the restoration work honors both ancestral knowledge and contemporary conservation methods. Local leaders shared stories about the land and water, reminding everyone that environmental protection is also cultural preservation.
The atmosphere that day carried both seriousness and joy. There was hard work under the sun, shared laughter, and moments of quiet reflection. Volunteers stood shoulder to shoulder with community members whose families have cared for this coastline for generations. Restoration, they learned, is as much about relationships as it is about removing trash.
For Frank Family Vineyards, this cleanup aligns with a broader commitment that extends beyond a single event. Every purchase of Frank Family wine through July 2026 supports their collaboration with 4ocean to remove 50,000 pounds of plastic and debris from the natural world. Since 2017, 4ocean has recovered more than 45 million pounds of waste, funding global cleanup operations, reducing reliance on virgin plastics, and raising awareness about ocean pollution.
Maui stands as a model for how ancestral knowledge and modern restoration can work together to heal landscapes across indigenous communities. The shoreline left cleaner, the wetlands moved closer to recovery, and everyone who participated carried a deeper appreciation for both the fragility and resilience of these ecosystems.
And this is only one chapter in a much larger story.
Frank Family Vineyards and 4ocean will continue their cleanup tour across the United States in 2026, with upcoming events in Tampa at Picnic Island on March 14, Galveston, Texas on April 24, Southern California on May 30, and Jamaica Bay, New York on June 27.
With every cleanup, the partnership strengthens. With every bottle of wine enjoyed, more plastic is removed from the environment. With every volunteer who shows up, another connection is forged between people and the places they are helping to protect.
Because with every drop we drink, we are connected to the ocean. And together, we can keep it healthy for generations to come.
Learn more about 4ocean's partnership with Frank Family Vineyards here.
