How To Support Native Hawaiians When Visiting? (8 Ways to Volunteer)

Since Hawaii’s volcanoes have been making a lot of damage lately, there are more opportunities than ever to help out and volunteer in the Hawaiian community.

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There are many ways to give back, learn something new, and make new friends by volunteering, whether it’s just for a day or for a long time. There are as many ways to volunteer in Hawaii as there are islands. Find one that you’re passionate about. Here are a few ways you can help change things in the Aloha State.

Observe endangered bird populations

Ornithologists from around the world and in Hawaii will enjoy seeing native birds and helping the Hawaii Audubon Society. In January, February, and March, they plan habitat restoration trips for wedge-tailed shearwaters at the Freeman Seabird Preserve. They also do more work at Kawainui Marsh, which is home to four species of endangered birds. They also survey, count, keep an eye on, and take pictures of birds all over the islands.

Number the humpback whales.

Each year, the biggest animals in the world come to Hawaii to give birth in the warm shallow waters. During the peak of whale season, on the last Saturday of January, February, and March, the Sanctuary Ocean Count project gets people together all over the state to count the endangered North Pacific humpback whales.

How To Support Native Hawaiians When Visiting? (8 Ways to Volunteer) — Humpback Whale | © NOAA Office of Marine Sanctuaries / Flickr

Plan or take part in a beach cleanup

West Maui Kumuwai is a non-profit community group that helps clean up beaches, care for and plant native plants, and put on informative talks about protecting the environment. Events like this are also put on by the Waikiki Aquarium, 808 Cleanups, and Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.

Bring back an old Hawaiian fishpond

Aquaculture was an important way for the Hawaiians to make a living. They came up with a very innovative, unique, and effective method that no other culture in the world uses. The fishponds (loko ia) that are more than 800 years old, like Paepae o Heeia and Waikalua on Oahu and Koieie on Maui, depend on school groups and volunteers who learn about the ways of the past, help rebuild rock walls, get rid of invasive species, and do other things.

Preserve a unique volcanic environment

Both Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island and Haleakal National Park on Maui have very fragile ecosystems that are home to plants and animals that can’t live anywhere else. The parks always need help from volunteers to pull out invasive plants, keep facilities in good shape, and restore native forests.

Clear a hidden valley that is not open to the public and plant trees there.

Maui volunteers get an inside look at Honokowai Valley, which was once home to a self-sufficient village of more than 600 Hawaiian families. Help is needed to clear the archaeological sites, which include hale (homes), heiau (temples), and lo’i (taro patches), and to replant the area with native plants.

Help end the problem of homeless people in Hawaii.

A few years ago, Hawaii had the highest rate of homelessness per person in the U.S. This was caused by a number of things, including the extremely high cost of living. Housing costs in Hawaii are the highest in the country and keep going up. With groups like the Institute for Human Services, Help the Homeless Keiki, and Hope Services, you can help plan a fundraiser, make and serve meals, care for children, and more.

Keep an eye on Hawaiian monk seals or green sea turtles.

Helpers on all of the islands work to protect the native Hawaiian monk seals and Hawaiian green sea turtles, which come to the beach to rest, and to teach people about them. Because their habitats are disappearing, they are getting closer to people. When this happens, volunteers set up buffer zones so people can safely watch the animals. They also keep an eye on the animals to make sure the legal distances are being kept, help with emergencies and injuries, and teach people about the animals.

Topic: How To Support Native Hawaiians When Visiting? (8 Ways to Volunteer)

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