Papahana Kuaola, Hawaii 2026

Day 1

Today was Day 1 of volunteering at Papahana Kuaola, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving native Hawaiian culture and species. Papahana Kuaola was founded 20 years ago to focus on tending to the Aina (land) so that it can thrive and be full of native Hawaiian species for generations to come. We immediately immersed ourselves in Hawaiian culture and traditions by participating in the morning Oli (chants), which are aimed to “wake up” the sun and land for the day. A similar practice occurs at the end of the day, thanking the sun and land for providing the space and ability to work. 

Then, we explored a part of the 63-acre land with our volunteer guide, Mili. She showed us how tedious it can be to tend to the land; they’ve only covered about 25% of it so far, so they rely on volunteers to help expand their reach. That’s where we came in.

Today, we jumped right into the work, quite literally, by spending our day removing invasive species to prepare mud for kalo (taro) planting. Kalo is a native Hawaiian crop, used around the island for food, and it requires well-worked muddy areas to grow. First, we jumped into waist-deep mud on the side of a small pit and worked our way across, removing any and every weed in our way. It was a lot of fun and unique to trudge through deep mud with our EGL friends, but also illustrated to us how physically intensive it truly is to revitalize the land and maintain natural practices and species. Once the weeds were all out, we acted as “human worms” by walking side by side all the way across the pit to work the soil/mud and mix it up to enhance further growth. We’re looking forward to an educational, productive, and fulfilling week ahead!

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Day 2 

Ang and Kylee here from the VA Hawaii trip! Our instructor, Milei, started by sharing the stories about the names behind the mountains. It was really interesting to hear the mo’olelo (stories) behind the different places and learn more about the meaning connected to the land. The stories also had very applicable takeaways to our everyday life, like always asking permission before using other people’s land, respecting your family, and not stealing. Even though these stories were from the past, the lessons are still things we can apply to our everyday lives today.

Today, our work started when we learned the difference between native and invasive species on the island. We then tackled a patch of land that was overgrown with invasive species. We used different tools to remove the plants while preserving the endemic plant species. After clearing the area, we gathered tea leaf to lay around the native species to help prevent the non-native plants from growing back.

After, we got a tour of a different part of the land and got a chance to swim in the creek. While we were there, we learned about how they gauge the amount of water that comes down during storms and how they keep track of the water in the creek. It was a cool way to learn more about the land while also getting to experience it ourselves.

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Day 3 - Aloha from Hawaiʻi! 

Day 3 started with another morning volunteering at Papahana Kuaola, where we spent the day removing overgrown invasive vines that were wrapping around and choking out endemic Hawaiian plants. Removing the vines gives these plants more access to sunlight and helps protect the biodiversity found only here in Hawaiʻi. After removing all of the vines, we placed them in compost piles so they can eventually be returned to the land.

We then got to explore around the waipō (name for the area of land, meaning scooping of water and soil) and cool off with a swim in Haʻakolea. It was an awesome way to actually experience the land while volunteering (and a swim was the perfect end to a hot day of work!)

After volunteering, we headed up to Shark’s Cove for an afternoon of swimming and exploring the tide pools. The day took a slight turn when Angelina stepped directly on a sea urchin (0/10 experience), but she is a BEAST and didn’t let it ruin the afternoon. We learned from locals that soaking her foot in vinegar helps dissolve the spine fragments. Definitely a memorable afternoon! 

We finished the day back together with a wholesome family dinner of burgers and hot dogs on the grill (shoutout Adam) and fresh pineapple (thanks Liv).

Today was a pretty perfect combination of what this trip is all about. Learning about Hawaiʻi, getting our hands dirty, exploring the beautiful island, and spending WAY too much time laughing. It really shows how deeply connected the people here are to the land and water. Being surrounded by that has made us think more intentionally about our own relationship with the places we call home! SO excited for day 4 🔥🔥🔥

(And hopefully avoiding Tropical Cyclone LaLa) 

From your fav masters students,

-Kirin and Gabe

Day 4 

Day 4 of volunteering at Papahana Kuaola centered around weeding an important area for the preservation called a Kahua. Importantly, their 20th anniversary is coming up soon, and they want to ensure the Kahua is cleaned up and ready for the event. 

The Kahua is incredibly important, not only being used for big events but for cultural olis (chants they provide to groups coming in to greet them into the land). It features three separate levels—the first level representing land, the second level representing people, and the third deities. It’s built by the land’s ancestors purely via stacking rocks rather than using more modern approaches like cement, which is something they try to preserve and pride themselves on.

Melē, our volunteering advisor from the preservation, started by educating us about the Kahua and explaining what we’d be doing. We then all got together with the tools provided and began pulling out and cleaning up the weeds invading the region. This was especially rewarding because we were both learning about the cultural relevance of the Kahua within the preservation and getting the opportunity to make a big impact.

After our hard work volunteering at Papahana Kuaola, the group took the chance to learn more about American history at the Pearl Harbor visitor center. The first part of this excursion centered around the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, where we took the chance to learn more about how submarines were deployed and utilized during WWII and the Cold War, finishing by touring the USS Bowfin, a submarine used during WWII. This gave us a new perspective of the functionality and living conditions of 20th century submarine, which was incredible to see. Following this, we visited the USS Arizona memorial, a rather heavy moment which allowed us to reflect on those who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The visit as a whole was extremely insightful, and each and every one of us were able to gain knowledge about our history and its effect on Hawaii.

After visiting Pearl Harbor, we took the time to sit down at a local Hawaiian BBQ restaurant, giving us the opportunity to connect and wind down after an eventful day, which ended by returning to our site at camp Erdman and reflecting on our day individually and collectively. See you tomorrow for day 5!

-Hezeki and Brenden

Day 5 

Today was our last day of volunteering! We started the day by heading to the creek and with nets to catch invasive and nonnative fish. We caught about 15, including small catfish and shrimp. It was difficult to wade in the water without scaring away the fish! Papahana Kuaola’s goal is to maintain the native plant and animal populations without the use of pesticides, chemicals, etc. They want to use as many natural solutions as possible. 

After fishing, our next task was to fill two brand new plant beds with soil. The original bed, where the pile of dirt was located, was made of wood and was in poor condition. The new beds were made of stone and newly constructed. We used shovels to fill and carry buckets from the original bed to the new ones. This was difficult work, but PK was happy to have such a big group to finish this work quickly! 

Our last task of the week was to finish the weeding we started the day before in the Kahua. We had gotten well over halfway the day before, and we made quick work of the remaining weeds. We had more help from the other Papahana Kuaola staff to make it go even faster. We used more tools than yesterday to dig up from the root. They are excited to have a cleaned up area for the upcoming 20th anniversary!

Although there is a hurricane coming in late tonight, we are happy to have gotten through all five days of volunteering safely and with great weather! The group will be moving to a safer location today in a more populated area to wait out the incoming storm.

Update: the storm has passed and we are all safe! We are grateful for the experience and for the Papahana Kuaola staff for being so knowledgeable, welcoming, and kind. We had a few different difficulties come up, but we wouldn’t change a thing! Overall, VA Hawaii was a huge success.

-Drew and Erik