1. Citizen Science
Wild Side Specialty Tours on O‘ahu offers the opportunity to take photos of whale flukes to submit to conservation organisation Happywhale. You can also report Hawaiian green sea turtle tags and whale shark sightings, send photos of manta rays and document and report debris such as ghost nets to various not-for-profits.
2. Volunteer at Lāna‘i Cat Sanctuary
Help staff at Lāna‘i Cat Sanctuary care for the hundreds of cats in their care. Visitors can assist for a few hours or for full days with a customised experience.
3. Take part in a beach clean-up
Removing plastic, ghost nets and other marine debris from Hawai‘i’s beaches helps protect wildlife from being killed or injured. On Maui, you can pick up an upcycled grain bag and a data sheet from PacWhale Eco-Adventures’ Ocean Store in Mā‘alaea and take part in Pacific Whale Foundation’s Coastal Marine Debris Monitoring Program.
4. Plant a tree
Since humans first arrived in Hawai‘i, more than half of the native forests across the Hawaiian Islands have been lost. Help Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative reverse this trend by planting a Legacy Tree at sites such as Gunstock Ranch on O‘ahu and Legacy Forest on island of Hawai‘i Island. Trees can also be tagged and tracked via TreeTracker.
5. Volunteer as a farmhand
Get a taste of farm life by helping with jobs such as animal grooming, cleaning the barn and fixing fences at Leilani Farm Sanctuary on Maui. Volunteers can also help with gardening, carpentry, washing windows, cleaning the rabbit yard, maintaining trails and removing invasive plants.
6. Restore wetlands and fishponds
Save endangered endemic waterbirds, migratory birds and aquatic species by helping restore wetlands and fishponds, which were built throughout the Hawaiian Islands in ancient times to practice aquaculture. The Mālama Loko Ea Foundation on O‘ahu and ‘Āina Ho‘ōla Initiative on the island of Hawai‘i are among the organisations seeking volunteers.
7. Help endangered sea turtle hatchlings reach the ocean
During honu’ea and honu nesting season on Maui, from May to November, visitors can volunteer for dawn patrol and nest protection with Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, which has helped more than 14,000 endangered sea turtle hatchlings reach the ocean over the years.
For more information, visit gohawaii.com/malama
