For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
March 2, 2007

Mrs. Bush's Remarks to the Press After Visiting the Hawaiian Monk Seal Captive Care Project
Midway Atoll

March 1, 2007

4:23 P.M. (Local)

MRS. BUSH: This is a great way to end today, with the monk seals, because so far today it's looked like this is all really bird life, but the real huge number of species, and one of the reasons this has been named a national monument, is because of the marine life -- the fish that we didn't get to see today, of course, we didn't snorkel, but if you were here in the summer, you probably could do that -- and all the other algae and other things that are below the water that are so important to this national marine monument.

So thanks you all for coming with me today. It's been a really terrific day.

Q (Inaudible.)

MRS. BUSH: Well, I love the monk seals, of course, everyone loves them, loves the way they look. And then I fell in love with all those little albatross chicks. You feel very protective of them, they're so vulnerable, sitting on their nests. It's so important that they don't have -- they don't have any natural predators here in their natural life, and it's really important that no invasive predators ever come.

Q What can people back home, do you think, do? What can people at home do to help ensure that these animals have a safe habitat?

MRS. BUSH: Well, I hope people will study up about the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, about this very important part of our country and the new monument here that protects the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

But I also hope people will take from this that we need to really pay attention to how we recycle plastic, and to pay attention to everything that you consume at home that's plastic, and how you get rid of it, and just make sure it doesn't someday end up here on one of these islands, or on any other coast, or in the stomach of one of these marine animals.

Thanks.

END 4:25 P.M. (Local)