Mālama Hawaii Program: Giving Back on a Trip to Paradise | Visitors relax at a small waterfall after a day of volunteering.
Mālama Hawaii Program
The Hawaiian Islands may draw you to their other-worldly tropical beauty. They may beckon you with their South-Pacific culture, warm welcome, legendary beaches, and seaside lifestyle. But, the most memorable trip to Hawaii may be the one that gives back.
The Mālama Hawaii Program connects visitors to activities that make a difference to the islands’ land, ocean, wildlife, forests, fishponds, and communities. Mālama means ‘give back,’ which puts you in a position to become part of Hawaii. To leave it an even better place, and most importantly, to have a lifetime vacation.
It’s about building genuine relationships between people and places. Enriching your life as well as the destination you visit.
Mālama Hawaii has brought together several hotels and resorts, tour companies, and local volunteer organizations in collaboration for a good Hawaii that everyone loves.
Further, volunteer projects range from reforestation and tree planting to self-directed beach cleanups, ocean reef preservation, and creating Hawaiian quilts for kupuna (elders).
Visitors gain a more enriching travel experience through their positive impact and may also qualify for perks like discounts or even a free night’s stay at a participating hotel or resort for volunteering.
Indeed, there are many opportunities to mālama on at least four of Hawaii’s visitable islands.
Want to learn more about Hawaii travel? Then read Kauai Vacation: Top 5 Sites.
Mālama Oahu
In Oahu, check in with the community group Mālama Maunalua to participate in a volunteer activity allowing you to mālama aina. Volunteers will learn about ecological issues affecting Maunalua Bay and participate in removing three types of invasive algae threatening marine sanctuaries in the bay’s nearshore waters.
Get hands-on during an immersive volunteer workday with eco-nonprofit Papahana Kualoa. You’ll sink your feet into the muddy earth of its loi Kalo (irrigated taro terraces) to plant or harvest kalo, a staple crop of the Native Hawaiian diet.
Planning to get hitched in Hawaii, then learn more about our Destination Weddings.
Mālama Maui
Don’t miss the ocean conservation activities at the nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation. Visitors to the foundation’s Coastal Marine Debris Monitoring Program head out to Maui’s scenic coastline areas to collect and track debris. Data recorded by the foundation helps mitigate and prevent shoreline and marine life damage.
You can also participate in the critical environmental work of removing invasive species from Maui’s protected lands by volunteering to help with restoration and conservation projects of the nonprofit Hawaii Land Trust. They do vital stewardship work contributing to wildlife protection efforts at the island’s Waihee Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge.
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The Hanalei Valley Lookout in Kauai. | Mālama Hawaii Program.
Mālama Island of Hawaii
Visitors can volunteer to help restore and replant a 275-acre lowland dry forest preserve at the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative. This includes building trails, tree planting, clearing invasive plant life, and more. All while taking in the sights and sounds of the preserve’s tranquil landscape.
Adventure seekers interested in mountain hiking and volunteer work are encouraged to look into the workdays of Uluhao o Hualalai. This is like a private eco-tour traversing the mature koa and ohia forests of the 8,271-foot Hualalai volcano. In addition to hiking to one of the volcano’s many craters and learning about the cultural significance of the surrounding landscape, visitors are also invited to participate in reforestation efforts by planting native trees.
Want to learn more about Hawaiian culture, then read, Hawaiian Culture, The Customs and Traditions Of Hawaii.
Kalalau Lookout in Kauai. | Mālama Hawaii Program.
Mālama Kaui
Spend a part of your vacation experiencing Kauai’s verdant and vibrant forest areas with the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project. In addition, participate in a remote video review to help identify the island’s protected birds and their activity and patterns. You can also join a virtual seminar to learn more about the native forest birds and the eco-project conservation efforts. The project’s Forest Fridays virtual series focuses on protecting the threatened native kiwi bird and three federally endangered native bird species – the puaiohi, akikiki, and akekee. The goal is to facilitate the recovery of their populations in the wild. Visitors can view prior series segments via the Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project’s YouTube channel.
Ask our trusted travel advisors how you can participate in the Mālama Hawaii Program. 🟢
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