Group News: Hawaiʻi Island Group, Maui, and Oʻahu
Hawaiʻi Island Group
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!
Mālama or Marketing? A Closer Look at Mālama One’s Recycling Plant
By the Hawaiʻi Island Group Conservation Committee
At first glance, Mālama One’s bottle-to-bottle plastic recycling facility in Hilo seems like a win for Hawaiʻi’s sustainability goals. The promise? A closed-loop system that recycles PET plastic bottles shipped in from across the state—reducing the amount of plastic headed to our landfills.
But a closer look reveals serious environmental concerns, particularly around how waste is handled and where it ends up.
According to permit filings and limited public statements, Mālama One plans to transport the facility’s industrial “sludge”—a byproduct of the plastic-washing process—to the Puʻuanahulu landfill. This sludge will include microplastics, residual cleaning chemicals, and other potentially hazardous materials. While technically legal, trucking this industrial waste across the island adds to fossil fuel emissions and further strains our already limited landfill capacity.
The public may feel reassured that bottles are being recycled locally, but the reality is more complex. We may be managing plastic waste differently—not necessarily better. That distinction matters. Without a serious commitment to reducing single-use plastics at their source, recycling remains a short-term fix, not a long-term solution.
The Hawaiʻi Island Group is deeply concerned by what appears to be a lack of transparency and community engagement. While industrial sludge from plastic recycling can include things like microplastics and residual chemicals, the specific composition of Mālama One’s sludge has not been made publicly clear. Who approved its disposal in the landfill? Have communities been meaningfully informed or invited to give input?
True environmental sustainability requires public trust—and that means having honest, inclusive conversations before the plant is built and trucks start rolling.
These conversations are urgent. Microplastics have now been found throughout the human body—including in the placenta, blood, breast milk, saliva, and even arterial plaque. Between 2016 and 2024, microplastic concentrations in the human brain increased by roughly 50%. Some brains now contain plastic equivalent to the weight of a plastic spoon.
Despite these shocking findings, the full health consequences of microplastics remain largely unknown. However, research is beginning to draw clear links: a 2024 study found that patients with higher concentrations of microplastics in their arteries were significantly more likely to experience heart attacks, strokes, and death.
As members of the Sierra Club Hawaiʻi Island Group, our kuleana (responsibility) is to ask hard questions and advocate for systems that don’t simply shift environmental burdens from one community or ecosystem to another.
Should the Mālama One project move forward without a detailed project plan available to state and county regulators—and the public? Is it truly a model of circular economic development, or more of a greenwashing campaign? Should we allow the project to proceed before clear regulations exist for microplastics? And how can we write effective regulations when the full health and environmental risks of microplastics remain unknown?
If these and other important questions go unanswered, we risk setting a dangerous precedent for future industrial operations across Hawaiʻi.
The Hawaiʻi Island Group is not opposed to recycling. But we do advocate for responsible, regenerative solutions rooted in mālama ʻāina—care for the land. That means building systems that reduce waste at the source, manage waste responsibly, and involve the community from the outset.
Mālama—to care for—isn’t just a name. It’s a practice. And if we are truly committed to a sustainable, regenerative future for Hawaiʻi Island, we must hold every project, regardless of their intentions, to the values of transparency, equity, and aloha ʻāina, a deep love and responsibility for all life and the natural resources upon which it depends.
Maui Group
Upcoming Outings
Wednesday, June 11
Waihe‘e Ridge Trail Hike (C/E)
Waihe‘e, 5 miles
This is a moderate to strenuous hike, as it is uphill most of the way to the top, a 1600-foot elevation gain. This trail can be very slippery if there has been recent rainfall, so a hiking stick is important. There is a beautiful forest, and spectacular ocean and valley views. Meet at 8am at the upper parking lot: turn mauka (inland) at Circle M Ranch (mile marker 6.9 on Kahekili Highway) and drive .9 miles to the upper parking lot.
Leader: Annie Schultz, acm_schultz@hotmail.com or 808-344-6628
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Friday, June 13
Ancient Trails of Palauʻea (C/E)
South Maui (Palauʻea), 2 miles
The upper lands of Palauʻea Ahupuaʻa (preserved as part of a 2016 legal settlement with Sierra Club, Maui Unite, and Honuaʻula Partners) has the greatest number of ancient stepping stone trails found in South Maui. This hike will explore and mark several of the 16 recorded stepping stone trails found in the 170 acre preserve. Come join the expedition! Note: No hike donations are collected for accesses on the Wailea 670/Honuaʻula Partners Land.
Leader: Lucienne de Naie, huelogrl@icloud.com
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Saturday, June 14
Maui Group Outings Leader Training
Would you like to help get more people out to enjoy and appreciate Maui's unique and beautiful natural and cultural legacy? Join our free training session to become a hike leader with the Sierra Club! We will meet at 9am on Saturday, June 14 to go over how to select, scout, plan, publicize and lead outings in Maui County, with a focus on safety and sharing our love for our natural and cultural environment. To lead outings with the Sierra Club, you must be a member. If you are not already, you can join during the training.
Register for the training here
Saturday, June 14
Makawao Forest Trail Maintenance Day (S)
Upcountry, 3 miles
Join us for a rewarding day of trail maintenance in the beautiful Kahakapao Forest Reserve in Makawao! The Kahakapao Krew will be working from 10am - 1pm to preserve and improve the trails that wind through this lush forest, ensuring they remain accessible, safe, and enjoyable for everyone. We will be hosted this month by Maui Mountain Bike Coalition! 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 and contribute to the long-term sustainability of our natural areas. Please 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). If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Raina at 330-289-1087.
Leader: Raina Myers, raina.myers@sierraclub.org
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Sunday, June 15
Haleakalā Supply Trail to Rainbow Bridge and Optional Hosmer Grove Bird Watching (C/E)
Haleakalā, 5.5 miles
Beautiful high altitude round trip hike from Hosmer Grove campground (7000’) to Rainbow Bridge (8,000’) at the crater rim and back. Prepare for wet/windy conditions. Wear footwear for rocky terrain. Bring hat, jacket, lunch, plenty of water, trekking poles, and park pass if you have one. Optional Hosmer Grove bird watching following hike.
Leader: Annie Schultz, acm_schultz@hotmail.com or 808-344-6628
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Sunday, June 22
ʻĪao Valley Exploration
Wailuku, 3 miles
Explore ʻĪao Valley - there will be steep sections and trees with be there to hang on to. Wear a swimsuit and be ready to get wet!
Leader: Mark Short, shortonmaui@gmail.com
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Saturday, June 28
Hāmākua Mālama Service Outing (C/E/S)
Ha‘ikū, 2 miles
Help clear away abandoned rubbish from gulches in Ha‘ikū’s Hāmākua Coastal Preserve and replant native species. Tools, snacks, trash bags, etc will be provided. Co-sponsored by Mālama Hāmākua.
Leader: Lucienne de Naie, huelogrl@icloud.com
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Oʻahu Group
Join Us For A Summer Pau Hana!
Aloha Sierra Club Oʻahu Group members and supporters,
Are you free in August and searching for a community? The Oʻahu Group is planning for an end-of-summer pau hana and we would love to see you there!
If you would like to attend, please call/text me at 808-255-6663 or email me at junshinbusiness729@gmail.com.
Hope to see you there!
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Jun Shin, Chair
Upcoming Outings
Sunday, June 8
Mālama Tree Crew: Pālehua Service Project
Join us to clear debris, weed, and water around 75 newly planted native trees in the Akupu Enclosure in the Gill Ewa Lands (GEL). GEL encompasses 1,600 acres in the southern tip of the Wai‘anae mountains dedicated to preserving the land's important biological, cultural, economic and historical resources. The Akupu Enclosure provides habitat for endangered ʻelepaio to nest. Meet at 7:45am at Makakilo Community Park, near the top of Makakilo Drive. We will work from 8am-11pm. To help you prepare, we suggest wearing long sleeves, pants, and closed toe shoes. Although we provide tools, you might prefer to bring your favorite tool and gloves. Remember to pack water, a snack, and insect repellent. Reservations are required at least one day prior, so please RSVP to sherrycassetta@gmail.com with your full name and phone number.
Leader: Sherry Cassetta
Sunday, June 15
Wāwāmalu Beach Service Project
Help return Wāwāmalu Beach to its native/natural status after years of off-road abuse and inattention. Seed collection and sowing, as well as removal of invasive plants on tap. Personal pickaxes welcome. Bring closed-toe shoes/boots, gardening gloves, sunscreen and water flask (iced refill available, no plastic water available). Meet 8am at the southwest access area just off to the left from the northeast driveway to Sandy Beach. Limited to 24 participants out of concern for the delicate planting environment. Participants under 18 require a parent or guardian. Please reserve your spot by emailing wrliggett@yahoo.com.
Leaders: Reese Liggett and Suzan Harada
Sunday, July 6
Mālama Tree Crew: Ala Mahamoe Service Project
Recognizing the crucial role of protecting Hawaii's watershed in preserving its unique ecosystems and providing fresh water resources, we continue to care for the area where the Sierra Club Oʻahu Group and its partners planted over 1,000 trees. Our efforts will involve watering, weeding, and clearing debris to ensure these young trees thrive. Meet us at 8am by the gate located between 1800 and 1812 Ala Mahamoe St. To ensure you're prepared, please wear long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, water, a hat, sunscreen, gloves, and covered shoes. Bringing your favorite tool is optional as others will be available. We anticipate finishing our work between 10:30am and 11am. Reservations are required at least one day prior, so please RSVP to sherrycassetta@gmail.com with your full name and phone number.
Leader: Sherry Cassetta