Group News: Hawaiʻi Island Group, Maui, and Oʻahu
Hawaiʻi Island Group
Upcoming Outings
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Perimeter Trail and Gulch Trail Hike
Moku o Hāmākua, 4 miles
Please join us on a moderate hike in the Kalōpā State Recreation Area, featuring native and exotic plants. Elevation: 2500’ +/- 700’. On the windward slopes of Mauna Kea above the Hāmākua Coast, the Kalōpā State Park is a local forest jewel. We will hike the Perimeter Trail, Gulch Trail, and the connecting trails. The Perimeter Trail has fallen trees on the path, requiring hikers to either circumvent or climb over them. Bring rain gear and snacks along with your day hike essentials. Please note that all outings are subject to Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death(ROD) protocol, which asks participants to wear clean clothes and scrub their boots and spray with alcohol. If can, conduct the preventative procedure at home; however, leaders will have needed items on hand. We also follow the “Leave No Trace Principles” in all of our hikes and appreciate your kōkua in advance for protecting our precious forests. We will meet at the top of the park road, near the cabins and the Native Forest Nature Trail. Register for the hike by calling Phyllis Chung at 808-767-3563.
Leader: Phyllis Chung
Hike Leaders Needed!
Do you love exploring the outdoors and sharing its beauty with others? The Sierra Club Hawaiʻi Island Group is looking for passionate individuals to join us as volunteer outings leaders!
Our outings leaders guide hikes and service projects that connect community members to the stunning landscapes of Hawaiʻi Island while fostering a deeper appreciation for mālama ʻāina. Whether you’re experienced in leading groups or simply eager to learn, we’ll provide the training and support you need to succeed.
Why become an outings leader?
Inspire others to cherish and protect Hawaiʻi’s unique ecosystems.
Enjoy opportunities to explore new trails and sites.
Build community with like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.
Together, we can make a difference—on the trail and for the planet. If you’re ready to step up and lead, we’d love to hear from you!
Email our outings chair, Diane Ware, at volcanogetaway@yahoo.com to learn more.
Let’s explore and protect Hawaiʻi together!
Maui Group
Trail Days in Bloom
By Raina Meyers
Last Saturday, during our monthly Second Saturday Trail Maintenance Day at Kahakapao Forest Reserve, we were greeted by the bright yellow blossoms of an ʻōhiʻa lehua. Our amazing group of volunteers had planted native ʻōhiʻa, ʻaʻaliʻi, and maile in the forest this past November in partnership with Nā Ala Hele, the Maui Mountain Bike Coalition, and Flow Farm Pacific. Since then, volunteers have returned each month to weed around the young plants, remove storm debris, monitor their progress, and help ensure their success.
Seeing our work in bloom was a wonderful way to start the day. It also felt like a special hōʻailona as we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sierra Club Maui. In fact, we've incorporated the golden yellow ʻōhiʻa blossom into the logo for our Golden Anniversary celebration. Seeing that bright bloom reminded us that stewardship takes patience. The work we do today often doesn't reveal its rewards until months—or even years—later.
For the past two years, Sierra Club Maui has worked alongside the Maui Mountain Bike Coalition and Nā Ala Hele to mālama the trails of Kahakapao Forest Reserve. These monthly workdays are made possible through the generous support of the Nuestro Futuro Foundation. Together, volunteers have restored trails, removed invasive species, maintained native plantings, and strengthened the connection between recreation and conservation. Despite feral pig damage, heavy Kona storms, and the everyday challenges of establishing young plants, the results have been inspiring.
These successes are only possible because of partnerships.
Mahalo to Nā Ala Hele for their leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to maintaining Hawaiʻi's trail system. Mahalo to the Maui Mountain Bike Coalition for continually showing up with hardworking volunteers who care deeply about the forest they ride. Together, we've shown that recreation and conservation are not competing goals—they strengthen one another. Healthy trails protect surrounding ecosystems, improve visitor experiences, and inspire more people to care for the places they love.
Perhaps the greatest success, though, has been the people.
Every month, new faces join longtime volunteers to swing McLeods, clear drainage, remove invasive plants, and share stories over lunch. Families, hikers, mountain bikers, students, retirees, and first-time volunteers have all contributed their time and energy. Whether someone spends one morning on the trail or returns month after month, every volunteer leaves their mark on the forest.
A golden ʻōhiʻa lehua in bloom at Kahakapao Forest Reserve, welcoming our volunteers during July's Second Saturday Trail Maintenance Day.
As Sierra Club Maui prepares to celebrate our Golden Anniversary on October 10 at Twin Falls, these trail days remind us what fifty years of conservation truly looks like. It isn't only found in victories at the Legislature or in the courtroom—it lives in muddy boots, shared lunches, restored trails, and tiny native plants growing into the future.
We hope you'll join us as we celebrate five decades of protecting Maui's natural places and the volunteers who continue that legacy every month.
Our work on the trails isn't finished—and that's exactly the point. Stewardship is an ongoing commitment. With every workday, every partnership, and every new volunteer, we're helping ensure that future generations can experience healthy forests, thriving native plants, and the simple joy of discovering an ʻōhiʻa in bloom.
Mahalo to the Nuestro Futuro Foundation for its generous support of Sierra Club Maui's trail stewardship program, helping build community through environmental stewardship, volunteerism, and mālama ʻāina.
Join Us on the Trail
Want to be part of the next success story?
Join us for our Second Saturday Trail Maintenance Days from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Kahakapao Forest Reserve. Our next workday is Saturday, August 8. Whether you're a seasoned trail volunteer or joining us for the first time, everyone is welcome. It's a great way to give back, meet fellow outdoor enthusiasts, and help care for one of Maui's favorite forests.
Visit the Sierra Club Maui website to sign up for an upcoming trail day, discover other hikes and volunteer opportunities, and learn how you can get involved.
As we prepare to celebrate 50 years of Sierra Club Maui on October 10 at Twin Falls, we'll also be looking for volunteers to help make our Golden Anniversary celebration a success. Stay tuned for opportunities to lend a hand—we'd love to celebrate this milestone with you! Email Raina.Myers@sierraclub.org for more information!
Volunteers planting native ʻōhiʻa, ʻaʻaliʻi, and maile at Kahakapao Forest Reserve during our November 2025 Trail Maintenance Day.
Upcoming Outings
Saturday July 18, 2026
Wailua Iki Stream Hike
East Maui, 6 miles
Moderate hike above Hana Highway through beautiful forest on a winding, muddy, jeep road. The trail hosts pools, waterfalls and lush plant life. The group may decide to swim. Bring appropriate footwear, sunscreen, lunch and water. Meet 8:00 am at Haʻikū Community Center. EMI WAIVER REQUIRED (see emi.html). Email name, address, and phone number to jackie.thomas@mahipono.com at least one week in advance. Limit: 15.
Leader: Rob Weltman, robw@worldspot.com
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Friday July 24, 2026
Palau'ea Native Plants Summer Tour
South Maui, 2 miles
July and August can bring delicate blooms to the native Wiliwili trees. The Honua'ula Reserve has several thousand of these remarkable trees which exhibit at least five different color variations of blooms. Our tour will also visit some of the area's archaeological sites. Please wear long pants to avoid scratchy brush in more rugged areas. No donations are taken for outings on the Wailea 670 lands.
Leader: Lucienne de Naie, huelogrl@icloud.com
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Saturday July 25, 2026
Mālama Hāmākua Service Outing
Haʻikū, Hamakualoa, 1 mile
Join us for Kōkua Days with Mālama Hāmākua Maui as we care for the Hamakualoa Open Space Preserve. Workdays are held every last Saturday from 9:00–11:30 am, followed by lunch and fellowship. This Saturday we will be clearing legacy trash out of cool and shaded Konanui gulch, to prepare for native plant restoration efforts. All tools and supplies provided. All ages can kōkua.
Leader: Lucienne de Naie, huelogrl@icloud.com
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Saturday August 1, 2026
Makapipi Watershed Trail
East Maui, 4 miles
Varied terrain along Ko‘olau Ditch trail: Makapipi to Kopili‘ula Stream where you can experience scenic vistas, pools, waterfalls, and native plant life. Hike includes crossing several bridges with no hand rails, not recommended for those sensitive to heights. EMI waiver required (see emi.html) - must email name, address and phone number to jackie.thomas@mahipono.com at least one week in advance. Meet at 8:00 am at the Haʻikū Community Center. Limit 15.
Leader: Rob Weltman, robw@worldspot.com
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Saturday August 8, 2026
Waikamoi Preserve Volunteer Day
Haleakalā, 3 miles
Anyone wishing to carpool meet at 8:00am near Ace Hardware in Pukalani Terrace Center. We will meet up just before Hosmer Grove on the campground access road in Haleakalā National Park at 9:30am and finish our work by about 1:00pm. Please note that a National Park Pass is required to enter Haleakalā National Park. The entrance fee is $30 per car, each car may include up to 14 passengers. Anyone without a park pass will need to either travel with someone who has a pass or pay the park entrance fee. We will be working in the upper portion of The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve. Work in that area will entail some weed work pulling invasive blackberry coming up in a recently cleared area of the conifer plantation, some planting of natives and clearing pine debris. We should be able to spend some time observing the manu along the upper Waikamoi gulch as well.
Leader: Ann Schultz, annschultz808@gmail.com
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Saturday August 8, 2026
Makawao Forest Trail Maintenance Day
Upcountry, 4 miles
Join us for a rewarding day of trail maintenance in the beautiful Kahakapao Forest Reserve in Makawao! The Kahakapao Crew will be working to preserve and improve the trails that wind through this lush forest, ensuring they remain accessible, safe, and enjoyable for everyone. From 9am-12:30pm we will be improving the trail’s slope and widening the path. Volunteers will help with tasks such as excavating trail sides, removing excess dirt, and clearing overgrowth to ensure the trail is safe and accessible. Tools like McLeods and Pulaskis will be provided, and volunteers will be trained on how to use them safely. This is a hands-on opportunity to help mālama ‘āina (care for the land) and contribute to the long-term sustainability of our natural areas. Bring sturdy, closed-toe boots, water bottle to stay hydrated, protective clothing (long sleeves, hat, bug spray, sunscreen), work gloves if you have them (we’ll also provide some). We’ll provide all necessary tools (McLeods, Pulaskis, etc.), protective gloves, and a light lunch after the work is done. We will meet at the top parking lot, at the entrance to the trailhead. Please arrive at 8:45am to sign in and complete the state waiver. Join our Facebook Group "Kahakapao Krew" to get the latest updates!
Leader: Raina Myers, raina.myers@sierraclub.org or 330-289-1087
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Oʻahu Group
A Hard-Earned Sign of Hope at Wāwāmalu Beach Nature Park
By Reese Liggett, Oʻahu Group Outings Leader
Photo: Midweek
For years, those of us who lead outings with the Sierra Club Oʻahu Group have known Wāwāmalu Beach Nature Park as a place of resilience. Sandwiched between Sandy’s Beach and the Kaiwi State scenic shoreline, this stretch of coast has silently suffered from unauthorized motor vehicles churning through native dune vegetation and illegal dumping left behind by those who recognize Wāwāmalu as an empty lot rather than a living ecosystem. We’ve spent countless weekend hours to clean out, weed, and plant seeds to restore native fauna.
Our work has been recognized over the years has been recognized by the City and County of Honolul, news stations, and local groups. Because the fruits of our labor are showing with the return of native vegetation and growing volunteers who understand the value of this precious coastline.
That’s why the new “Adopt a Park” signage recently installed by the city Department of Parks and Recreation feels like more than just a nice gesture—it feels like validation and will ultimately advance our efforts to rename this stretch of land to Wāwāmalu Beach Nature park, which we wrote about previously.
As written in a recent Midweek article, Parks and Rec’s goal with the new signs is an orange sticker-redirection sign reading “ALOHA: PLACE STICKERS HERE & NOT ABOVE SIGNAGE.” The other new Adopt a Park signage includes the names of the participating volunteers, the program's bird of paradise-inspired floral logo and the programs motto “E alu pū kākou” meaning “Let's go forward together.”
For too long, Wāwāmalu has been treated as a dumping ground rather than the nature park it was designated to be. Our campaign has always been about restoring that designation with meaning—pushing for real protections, better enforcement against off-road vehicles, and community education about the native monk seals that rest there and the plants that cling to life in these dunes. This signage is another step forward in that campaign. It tells the public, “This place is special. This place is watched over. This place matters.”
As Adopt a Park volunteer coordinator, Denny Higa, said ““These individuals and their organizations are so humble and giving, they don’t volunteer for accolades or awards. But we felt it was important to recognize their commitment, hard work, and hopefully inspire others to join in the shared goal of caring for our precious parks.”
If you’ve ever driven past Wāwāmalu and wondered why the dunes look different now, come see join us. We are out here every third Sunday of the month! Stay up to date here.
The Oʻahu Group holds an ongoing permit from the City DPR for our conservation outings to remove invasive plants and encourage native growth at what we hope will soon bear the new name: Wāwāmalu Beach Nature Park!
Upcoming Outings
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Wāwāmalu Beach Nature Park Service Project
Join us for our next Third Sunday at Wāwāmalu Beach! Limited to 25 participants out of concern for the delicate planting environment. Participants under 18 require a parent or guardian. We will be encouraging native vegetation through weeding, native seed gathering, and sowing, as well as offering interpretation of the native ecosystem. Please bring closed toe shoes or boots, gloves, sunscreen and a water bottle. Meet at 8am, finish at 11am. Water for refills will be provided. Carpool possibly available, call 808.222.2088 to inquire.
Contact wrliggett@yahoo.com to RSVP.
Leader: Suzan Harada and Reese Liggett