Restoration

After a great overnight experience at the volunteer cabin in Hakalau, we headed for work. After all, it's not all play!  Baron Horiuchi, horticulturalist and volunteer coordinator of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, gave us the rewarding job of planting healthy and gorgeous native Hawaiian trees, which will eventually grow into a forest.

Then we worked in the "Laulima" nursery, transplanting incredibly tiny seedlings of an endangered plant called Cyanea shipmanii.  Many of us were intimidated at first by the fragile state of the seedlings but with Baron's reassurance, we transplanted about 200 plants that were added to the nursery and hopefully to the forest someday.

Baron also treated us to a hike into an area called Pua 'akala ranch. There, the native forest is tall and majestic, and native birds abound.  Some of us saw the endangered 'akepa, a bright orange honeycreeper, whose image we will likely never forget.

Restoring a native forest takes vision and perseverance. In our lifetimes, we may never see the plants we touched grow to full maturity but knowing that we helped is a gift and honor.

Mahalo nui loa to all who made this trip amazing possible!