Volunteer on Vacation while in Hawaii

Aloha Folks,

Today my new web site was launched, and I am excited to share it with everyone. Volunteer-on-vacation-hawaii.com is part of my latest effort in preservation of our special environment here in Hawaii.

After meeting great visitors out on the trail or up in the mountains, I was inspired to create this new site with added incentive on booking accommodations at Hale Ho'okipa Inn for those who volunteer (get a 5% discount on your stay, with another 5% donated to the organization for which you volunteer) This new site will continue to grow. Right now, the focus is mainly environmental restoration and preservation through eradication of invasive species and replanting the native forest and coastal dunes.

The last service day I had was with the Maui Coastal Land Trust. We gathered Naupaka seeds from the native Naupaka plant. This shrub grows in the mountains and by the ocean. There are several species of this plant, the most remarkable thing is the flower appears to be torn in half, with petals missing.

There are a few legends that are spurned by this half flower...with the theme being two lovers who cannot be together, resulting in one living in the mountains, and the other by the ocean...hence the half flower.

The seeds when ripe are white and round. When we picked them,, we had to squeeze the seed out of the pulpy white outer layer. Mehana, my granddaughter and I , ended up picking a couple of hundred seeds. Nice to know these are now growing into new plants.

It's a little bit sticky to pick the seeds, my grandson Aukai was not too impressed with this job. He really perked up when it was time to plant the Naupaka plants in the afternoon. He liked digging the holes with the shovel. I had to protect the plants so they would not end up chopped in half by his enthusiatic shovel swinging.

The Diaz family, 7 of them from Texas ,also worked with us. Their 13 year old, John, enjoyed the experience with his family. They were a fun group, and it was great to pick and plant along side this family on the wonderful Maui Coastal Land Trust sand dunes.

This area is some of the only sand dunes remaining on Maui. A small inland pond in the ancient fish pond , is where the Hawaiian Stilt birds nest .

Please visit the new site. Anyone interested in sponsorship of the site to help , please contact me. I am happy to add your link to the site.

Volunteering on vacation, or in your home area, is a great way to meet great folks, share your skills and learn new ones, and feel good about your efforts.

Dig in, help out, lend a hand. You'll be glad you did.

Much Aloha and Mahalo to all who make a difference!!!

Cherie