Pono Pledge

The Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) and County of Hawaii have partnered to launch the “Pono Pledge,” a new public information campaign aimed at educating and encouraging residents and visitors to be safe, responsible and respectful to each other and the environment while enjoying the bounty of the island of Hawaii.

​Though designed with Hawaiʻi Island in mind, this pledge can apply to all of our beautiful Hawaiian islands:

​I pledge to be pono (righteous) on the island of Hawai‘i.

I will mindfully seek wonder,
but not wander where I do not belong.

I will not defy death for breathtaking photos,
or venture beyond safety.

I will mālama (care for) land and sea,
and admire wildlife only from afar.

Molten lava will mesmerize me,
but I will not disrupt its flow.

I will not take what is not mine,
leaving lava rocks and sand as originally found.

I will heed ocean conditions,
never turning my back to the Pacific.

When rain falls ma uka (inland),
I will remain high above ground, out of rivers and streams.

I will embrace the island’s aloha spirit,
as it embraces me.

Lawe i ka maʻalea i kūʻonoʻono.
“Take Wisdom and Make it Deep.”