Kaiser Permanente volunteers gather on Big Island to clear invasive species, restore historic fishpond and more

About 100 Kaiser Permanente physicians, providers, nurses, other clinical and administrative staff, and their family members volunteered at two Hawai‘i Island sites Monday as part of the 2025 Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i Annual Day of Service – Hosted by Hawai‘i Permanente Medical Group on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

For the seventh year, Kaiser Permanente volunteers gathered at Kamokuna, a coastal area in Honohononui, Hilo. Their efforts focused on removing invasive plant species and restoring the wall of the historic fishpond, an important cultural site cared for by the Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation, according to a Kaiser press release.

In Kona, Kaiser Permanente volunteers joined efforts at Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Forest Reserve, collaborating with the nonprofit Ka ‘Ahahui ‘O Ka Nāhelehele and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Department of Land and Natural Resources. Their work supported the restoration of the area’s unique dryland forest ecosystem, which holds historical significance and is home to native plants, animals, and nesting nēnē (Hawaiian geese). Volunteers planted native species, gathered seeds, removed invasive weeds and vines, and revitalized an interpretive trail designed to educate visitors about the native dry forest.

“Since 2017, the threatened dryland forest at Pu’u Wa’awa’a Forest Reserve has benefitted from the aloha and mālama ‘āina given by Kaiser Permanente volunteers. It’s very rewarding to see this dry forest flourishing through the efforts of this ongoing partnership,” said Mary Metcalf, President of the dryland forest nonprofit Ka ‘Ahahui ‘O Ka Nāhelehele.

Hawai‘i Permanente Medical Group, which oversees care delivery for Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i, has hosted an annual day of service since its 50th anniversary in 2010.

“As we celebrate HPMG’s 65th anniversary this year, this tradition has become even more meaningful – as we’ve developed a deep sense of kuleana to the land and ocean here at these sites,” said Matthew Murray, DO, a family medicine specialist and the physician-in-charge at Kaiser Permanente’s clinics on Hawai‘i Island. “Seeing the progress made over the years each time we come back is a poignant reminder that healing takes time and lasting commitment.”

Today’s volunteer project was part of a larger community service effort by more than 1,000 Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i physicians, providers, nurses, staff, families, and community organizations statewide, volunteering simultaneously on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i.