Park Group Scheduling Hike, Native Tree Planting

Feel like planting a tree, or maybe taking a hike?

Then Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park has something for you.

The group’s next volunteer forest restoration project involves the planting of native tree seedlings in the Mauna Loa strip section of the park. Participants will also learn about Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s ongoing reforestation efforts.

The project will be held on Thursday, Dec. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Volunteers should be at least 12 years old, and able to hike at least one mile through brush and over uneven terrain with a moderate slope.

Sturdy walking shoes and long pants are required, as is gear for either wet or sunny weather plus drinking water and a lunch.

A previous Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes Park reforestation project. Photo by Carol Johnson/FHVNP.

Participants are also asked to scrub the soles of their shoes before arriving at the site to ensure that outside dirt and seeds of invasive species are not introduced.

Friends is looking for a crew of 14 people and pre-registration is required. All participants will need to sign a Friends release form and a park volunteer form. For those under 18, an adult will need to co-sign.

Vog, or high levels of sulfur dioxide, could also prompt a cancellation of the project. If that occurs, participants will be notified in advance.

Interested persons should contact Patty Kupchak at [email protected] or (808) 352-1402 by Monday evening, Dec. 9, and provide first and last name, email address, and a phone number in case of a last-minute cancellation.

For those who already belong to Friends, or are looking to join, the group’s next monthly get-together involves a “Sunday Walk in the Park” on Sunday, Dec. 8, along the Puna Coast Trail.

The 6-mile round-trip walk will start at the parking area for the Pu`u Loa Petroglyph Trail on the Chain of Craters Road. Participants will hike the trail for three miles (toward Apua Point), crossing Mauna Ulu’s 1971 and ’72 lava flows, before stopping for lunch and then returning the same way.

Hikers should be in good condition as the hike is over pahoehoe lava along a windswept, sun-soaked landscape.

The event is free for members and others are welcome to join Friends to participate. The cost of individual membership is $30, with discounts and other options also available.

To register, contact Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at (808) 985-7373 or by email at [email protected] or register online at www.fhvnp.org.