Giving Thanks to Volunteers Past, Present & Future
Volunteers connect with Pālehua for many reasons. We build community, give back to the land, ground in a sense of place, breathe fresh mountain air, connect with family, nurture peace and connection, and much more.
When it comes to living a culture of mālama ʻāina and stewardship, which PCI is growing into as a young organization, we are guided by many who have come before us. We also have ongoing inspiration and help, such as the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership, Mālama Learning Center, the Oʻahu Army Natural Resources Program, Camp Pālehua, and our growing hui of volunteers—which you can also become part of!
Many hands have helped Pālehua …
Nearly a decade ago, the Sierra Club and the Gill family started the ʻAkupu Valley ‘Elepaio Habitat kīpuka with support from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Most of our volunteer days now take place at ʻAkupu Valley, and Sierra Club Outings Leaders Clyde Kobashigawa, Randy Ching, and Sherry Cassetta continue to bring volunteers to clear invasives, plant natives, monitor habitat, and tend fences.
Mālama Learning Center, which is also located at Pālehua, provides plants for our restoration work. MLC collaborated with Kapolei High School to establish the Lama kīpuka at Pālehua, which we now also maintain. When it comes to plants, we also receive keiki laʻau from Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership … which is also located at Pālehua! It is a special opportunity to be able to source plants grown onsite.
Speaking of plants grown at Pālehua, super volunteer Suzan Harada scouted a healthy ʻiliahi grove overlooking Nānākuli Valley more than ten years ago. Soon after, she took on the difficult task of starting an ‘iliahi nursery at the Pālehua Lands baseyard, which she continues to learn from and maintain. Her keiki are mākua now–a great sign.
Also helping out in this shared space are the Oʻahu Army Natural Resources Program and Camp Pālehua. Lower in the kuahiwi, Camp is a great place for community to gather and pitch in—when it comes to large groups, we like to bring volunteers here to maintain another kīpuka. At higher heights, Oʻahu Army Natural Resources Program manages ʻelepaio conservation near PCI and a fenced enclosure at Palikea.
Inspired by kūpuna who organically began coming to volunteer with ʻĀina Program Manager Aliah Irvine regularly, we also started our Kūpuna Tuesdays volunteer hui last year. Since then, we have benefited from the ongoing support of Kat, Joe, and Victoria as well as kūpuna from Kāpolei Heritage Center. On our monthly volunteer days, we appreciate one-time volunteers as well as those who return regularly such as Beth and Ryan.
Knowing we have volunteers returning again and again helps build hope and consistency when it comes to the challenging but regenerative call to restore the forest of Pālehua. Just like we can tell when there has been an abundance of rain in the lush landscape and happy lāʻau, we can also see in the ʻāina the impacts of dedicated groups and volunteers sharing their time and energy. For this, we are very thankful.