Bird Habitat Restoration and Conservation, Big Island, Hawaii
Sierra Club Outings Trip | Service/Volunteer
Highlights
- Enjoy scenic views from Hawaii's tallest mountain
- Work to preserve endangered native bird habitat
- Volunteer at a bird conservation center
Includes
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All lodging
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All transportation, including airport pickup
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All food except for dinner on the fifth night
Overview
The Trip
While Hawai’i is known as a tropical paradise, on this trip we will visit parts of the island that are more challenging to reach and require a certain stoutness of spirit to endure. In return, you will be treated some of the most fantastic scenery the island has to offer!
The Island of Hawai'i is the largest and southernmost of the Hawaiian Islands. Rising more than 2.5 miles above sea level, Mauna Kea is the state’s highest mountain and defines the landscape of the island. It is also home to the critically endangered honeycreeper, palila
The Trip
While Hawai’i is known as a tropical paradise, on this trip we will visit parts of the island that are more challenging to reach and require a certain stoutness of spirit to endure. In return, you will be treated some of the most fantastic scenery the island has to offer!
The Island of Hawai'i is the largest and southernmost of the Hawaiian Islands. Rising more than 2.5 miles above sea level, Mauna Kea is the state’s highest mountain and defines the landscape of the island. It is also home to the critically endangered honeycreeper, palila.
Driving, often off-road, to our work site at 7,000 feet will not be easy, but majestic views will provide an amazing backdrop to our service project in the first half of the trip. Working here, it is easy to understand why Hawaiians consider Mauna Kea a sacred place. Let us respect this important mountain and tread reverently there as we work to restore palila habitat.
The Project
As the most remote island archipelago in the world, the islands are home to many species found nowhere else, including the palila. Palila live in the high elevation dry forests of Mauna Kea. Like some other species, palila have evolved to depend on a single specific food source: the green seeds of the mamane tree.
Working with the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project (MKFRP), our goal is to plant mamane and other seedlings and to control invasive plants in former ranch lands, thereby increasing the year-round food availability for the palila. Planting techniques will be dictated by the success of efforts in previous years. We also hope to be able to collect green mamane pods, and deliver these to a local sanctuary where palila and other birds are bred to be re-introduced to the wild.
Itinerary
Day 1: Participants will arrive in Hilo. We will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the MKFRP bunkhouse. There we will get acquainted over dinner and prepare to transfer to Mauna Kea early the following day.
Day 2: After a quick breakfast, we will load up for our trip to the work site on Mauna Kea and clean the bunkhouse! Getting to our work site will be a scenic drive around and up Mauna Kea. The last hour or so of this drive is off-road over uneven terrain. When we arrive at the work site, we will have a safety briefing then help the crew unload and sort the seedlings. Afterward we will hike a short distance to our sleeping structures to prepare our homes for the next few days before having dinner
Day 1: Participants will arrive in Hilo. We will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the MKFRP bunkhouse. There we will get acquainted over dinner and prepare to transfer to Mauna Kea early the following day.
Day 2: After a quick breakfast, we will load up for our trip to the work site on Mauna Kea and clean the bunkhouse! Getting to our work site will be a scenic drive around and up Mauna Kea. The last hour or so of this drive is off-road over uneven terrain. When we arrive at the work site, we will have a safety briefing then help the crew unload and sort the seedlings. Afterward we will hike a short distance to our sleeping structures to prepare our homes for the next few days before having dinner.
Days 3-4: We will be camping and working on Mauna Kea under the supervision of MKFRP staff. We will work several hours each day, taking breaks to eat lunch and, as necessary, to rest and hydrate at this higher elevation.
We will travel to different areas by vehicle and by foot, planting our seedlings using techniques devised by the staff to give the plants the best chance of success for increasing bird habitat. Time permitting, we may be able to visit some other sites of interest near the work site and to collect green mamane pods.
When we stop for the day, we'll return to camp for a shared dinner and good company in the communal kitchen cabin.
Day 5: This morning we will prepare to leave Mauna Kea. We will take a different route home, stopping by a different area of the mountain where we will hike and look for palila. After lunch, we will return to the bunkhouse in Hilo in time to clean up and head out on the town for dinner on your own.
Day 6: We will load into vans and depart this morning for the village of Volcano. We will volunteer at a bird conservation center where we may be able to see palila in a captive breeding program, as well as other native birds, possibly including the ʻalalā, the Hawaiian crow. We will learn more about efforts to preserve these birds and reintroduce them into the wild. After visiting the bird conservation center we will go into Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to look at the caldera and visitor center. Following Volcanoes we will return to the bunkhouse in Hilo.
Day 7: On our last day, we will have our final breakfast and say our goodbyes before going our separate ways.
Logistics
Getting There
Hilo is a major airport serviced by several airlines. Leaders will shuttle participants from the Hilo airport to the MKFRP bunkhouse, just a short drive away. At the end of the trip, leaders will return you to the Hilo airport. (Other drop-off points in Hilo may be possible.) Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader. Please note that the Hilo airport is not the Kona airport! (Flying into or out of Kona is also an option for pre- or post-trip activities, but Kona is a 90+ minute drive across the island.)
Getting There
Hilo is a major airport serviced by several airlines. Leaders will shuttle participants from the Hilo airport to the MKFRP bunkhouse, just a short drive away. At the end of the trip, leaders will return you to the Hilo airport. (Other drop-off points in Hilo may be possible.) Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader. Please note that the Hilo airport is not the Kona airport! (Flying into or out of Kona is also an option for pre- or post-trip activities, but Kona is a 90+ minute drive across the island.)
Accommodations and Food
No tents needed! Our accommodations throughout the trip will be rustic, with each of our destinations providing a unique experience. The bunkhouse is precisely that -- a house with several rooms full of bunk beds, as well as a small kitchen and single bathroom. It is in Hilo town, with traffic on the street outside the bunkhouse.
The camp on Mauna Kea has a composting toilet, as well as a central kitchen cabin with appliances and water access. However, all water comes from a catchment system and water conservation is critical so that water can be used primarily for irrigation. Participants will stay in small (tent-sized) two-person A-frame structures a short hike away from the central cabin. Please note that we will be working and camping at elevations up to 7,800 feet. At this altitude, temperatures can dip below freezing at night (yes, even in Hawai'i!). The A-frames provide shelter from rain, but you will need a heavy duty sleeping bag and warm gear.
Once we return to the Hilo area we will stay two more nights at the bunkhouse.
Fortunately, we will have access to kitchens throughout the trip! (No refrigeration on Mauna Kea, however.) This is Hawai'i, and we always strive to bring a bit of the flavors of the islands into our meals. Vegetarians are easily accommodated.
Trip Difficulty
The most difficult part of the trip will be the drive to and from the Mauna Kea work site, which involves over an hour of driving once we leave the main road. We will be jostled and jolted, but it is much faster than walking!
The service project work is not necessarily strenuous, but participants should be able and willing to work all day in the sun and at elevation. Rest and water breaks will be taken as needed and participants will work at their own pace. The terrain on Mauna Kea is rocky and rugged. The work site on Mauna Kea is remote and several hours away from medical attention, so caution is paramount. At night, temperatures can drop below freezing, and it can rain at any time on the mountain.
Equipment and Clothing
A sleeping pad and warm sleeping bag rated to at least 20 degrees is necessary while on Mauna Kea, as is warm clothing to withstand freezing temperatures at night. A headlamp is also crucial for navigating rocky terrain around the campsite in the evenings. Boots that lace up through the ankle are required; please make sure they are broken in (but not worn out) prior to the trip. Camp shoes should also be closed-toe due to the terrain. Rain gear (jacket and pants; ponchos are not sufficient) is essential, as we will work rain or shine! It is much warmer in Volcanoes and Hilo, but layers are still desirable to provide sun protection.
Conservation
Hawai'i faces many unique challenges to preserving its endemic species; development not least among them. We will have an opportunity to learn more about these challenges during our work project, as well as efforts to reintroduce native species from a captive breeding program. Additionally, most goods and products must be brought to Hawai'i by boat from the mainland or overseas, and the state has a limited ability to deal with landfill waste. For this reason, please plan to "pack out" any packaging or other garbage from items you bring from the mainland.
Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.
Staff
Important Notes
- Carbon Offsets
- Carpooling
- Electronic Billing and Forms
- Electronic Devices
- Equipment
- Essential Eligibility Criteria
- How to Apply for a Trip
- Leader Gratuities
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- Non-discrimination Statement
- Participant Agreement
- Seller of Travel Disclosure
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- Trip Feedback
- Trip Price
- Wilderness Manners