Sun, Service, and Whales, Maui, Hawaii

Please Note: We remain mindful of the current fire situation on Maui. We are in touch with our community partners, accommodation providers, and local sources. We encourage you to register for this trip with a spirit of aloha and some flexibility. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners on Maui as they recover and rebuild. 

The Trip

Celebrate the new year with more than 15 years of service on West Maui. During our four days of service, we will be working in the Honokowai Valley, Haleakala National Park, with Fish & Wildlife at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, and with the Ainakukoa O Waiohuli Kai restoration project. Our work will include mostly weeding and clearing invasive species. We may also do some plantings and other land preservation requested by our partners.  

Admission to Haleakala National Park is included in this trip along with a unique opportunity to engage in a service project within the park.   Haleakala (meaning “House of the Sun” in Hawaiian) is a dormant shield volcano with one of the world’s largest volcanic craters. Its rim reaches an elevation of 10,023 feet.  Along with the beauty of the crater, many unique flora and fauna can be found there.  Hawaii’s state bird, the nene (Hawaiian goose) are often spotted.  At the summit we will enjoy a protected collection of shimmering silverswords, yuccalike plants that take as long as 50 years to flower a single time and then die. A short hike through the national park’s Hosmer Grove may result in the sighting of the threatened, endemic i’iwi. This striking red honeycreeper bird seeks flower nectar from the grove’s trees.

The Honokowai Valley is now protected through the Maui Cultural Land Trust, which works to safeguard historic and archaeological sites on the island. The particular area where we will work was once considered the "taro basket" of the Kaanapali region. This is a historical site that bears witness to the scientific, engineering, and cultural prowess of the original Hawaiian community.

This valley is increasingly becoming an educational site, where visitors can learn about ancient Hawaiian sustainable systems for food, clothing, and shelter. While currently not open to the public, the hope is that this educational site will open in the near future. Puanani Lindsey will be our 'sponsor' when we are working in the valley. On Saturday, we will be joined in the Honokowai Valley by “valley regulars”; mainly local Sierra Club members who contribute their work and aloha each Saturday -- a wonderful opportunity to meet and "talk story" with Maui residents as we work side-by-side.

On our one non-service day, we will go boating and see the migrating humpback whales. These magnificent creatures come to the Islands between November and April to breed, give birth, and rest before returning to Alaskan waters to feed during the summer months. Seeing them and hearing their song is an awesome experience! After the work portion of one of our days, we may have time to swim and snorkel in the clear waters surrounding the island.

You may want to consider coming early or staying after this service trip to enjoy beautiful Maui and the many outdoor activities available. We can tell you about special places and hikes to enjoy.

"Our first Sierra Club volunteer service trip to Maui was just what we were hoping for: meaningful service projects with great local organizations, very comfortable accommodations, well-organized group schedule, excellent food focusing on local & organic produce, exceptional group leader, excellent transportation, and spectacular experiences whale watching, snorkeling, and viewing Maui wildlife. Trip of a lifetime for us! Many thanks!” – 2019 trip participant

Getting There

In the winter months, travel from the mainland can be uncertain, due to weather. You might want to consider arriving a day or two early in order to guarantee your arrival by the trip's starting time. The leader will be glad to share hotel information with you, as well as suggest areas to visit on your own (not included in our trip). Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member.

"I really enjoyed the work that we did and the people that we met in the community as well as the other members on the trip. There were a lot of different people on the trip from different places. It was fun to get to know them and work by their sides. I am looking forward to another Sierra Club trip and I hope it will be as much fun as this one was. I can’t wait for my next Sierra club outing!"
– 2019 trip participant

Accommodations and Food

Our comfortable lodging includes a heated, salt lap pool, wrap around lanai with plenty of relaxing seating and views of the mountains, other islands, and the active whales in the ocean. This newly constructed “beach house” is located one house in from the ocean, so we will enjoy the cool breeze and sounds of the surf. The professionally landscaped yard includes a small pond with a waterfall and flowering trees.  A perfect spot for some afternoon yoga or reflecting on the day. Bedrooms and bathrooms are shared. Including 2 sets of bunkbeds. There is a washer and dryer units available.

If you have any dietary restrictions, please discuss them with the leaders before signing up for this trip.

Most meals are hearty and nutritious vegetarian or seafood based.

With the exception of four dinners, all meals between dinner on the first day and breakfast on the last day are included in the trip price. The first meal served will be dinner on day one; the last meal will be breakfast on day seven. Our lodging is shared with a local family, solar powered and is within walking distance to a variety of locally owned and award winning food trucks and small restaurants. Participants will have four evening meals on their own at their expense. Or they can take a short stroll over to Kalama Beach Park and watch the sunset while eating.

Trip Difficulty

This trip requires physical labor, involving weeding, cutting and digging on our work days and at 10,000 foot altitude at Haleakala. There will be bending, stretching, and pulling involved -- all at your own pace. We may be riding in the back of a pick-up on a bumpy access road to get to our work site in the Honokowai Valley.

Equipment and Clothing

Long-sleeved shirts, boots, sturdy work gloves, sunscreen, a day pack, water bottles, and a sun hat are necessary. Mosquito repellent is often needed in the valley. A more complete equipment list will be sent to participants.

References

Books:

• Beckwith, Martha, Hawaiian Mythology.

• Culiney, John, Islands in a Far Sea.
• Daws, Gavin, Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands.
• Kaufman, Gregory Dean, and Paul Henry Forestall, Hawaii's Humpback Whales.
• Pukui, M.K. and Curtis, C., Tales of the Menehuene.
• Sohmer, S.H. and R. Gustafsen, Plants and Flowers of Hawaii.

Conservation

The Sierra Club sponsors outings so members may experience new places, people, and activities. Specifically, we aim to heighten awareness of the global environment and encourage participants to take action to protect our shrinking world and its inhabitants -- human and otherwise. On this trip, we will learn about contentious water and land development, which affects all island residents and visitors.

"The Sierra Club volunteer staff were excellent. That's not an easy job all the time and they did a really good job of it." – 2019 trip participant

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.