Personal Planting with Friends of Hakalau Forest. Photo by Dean Masutomi | Volunteer Wildlife Refuge Hawaii

Volunteer

Join our service trips to the Refuge (tree-planting, painting structures, maintaining facilities, etc)

Friends of Hakalau Forest (FOFH) service trips to the refuge can involve planting native plants and trees, working in the greenhouses, assisting with road and fence line brushing, invasive plant control, maintaining the volunteer cabin, painting structures, guiding refuge visitors, etc. For off-refuge volunteer opportunities with FOHF such as staffing tables at environmental fairs, working on promotional posters, selling FOHF T-shirts or managing and tracking membership, please contact FOHF for information via our CONTACT US website page. List your area(s) of interest, training & previous experience. There’s more work than hands to do the work so let us know if would like to join Friends of Hakalau Forest and get involved.

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is a 90+ minute drive in a 4×4 vehicle from Hilo or Kona. A volunteer service trip to the refuge generally requires complex logistics, overnight stays and on-site supervision by refuge staff. Most successful trips require advanced coordination with staff and are most beneficial to the refuge when groups consist of 6-12 individuals. The refuge does offer occasional day trips and weekend trips, but trips occurring during the regular work week and lasting 4-5 days are most advantageous to the refuge.

Periodically, Friends of Hakalau Forest will organize and lead volunteer service trips that help fulfill the mission and goals of Hakalau Forest NWR. FOHF members are notified of these trips through the FOHF newsletter and the trips are publicized on this website when available. FOHF members are generally given preference for the 6-12 slots on these trips. If you are not currently a member and want to participate on a trip, please join FOHF by visiting the JOIN page on this website. As the dates draw near, FOHF trips are opened to non-members if empty slots still exist. Non-members who wish to be placed on a waitlist for these slots may contact us (subject: “Volunteer Service Trips”) with your name and contact information.

Volunteer Wildlife Refuge Hawaii. San carries a tray of outplantings. Photo by Dean Masutomi | Friends of Hakalau Forest

To receive information regarding volunteer opportunities at Hakalau Forest NWR and open dates for group service trips, please contact the refuge directly at:

Leah Messer, Visitor Services Manager
Office: 808-854-2658
Email: leah_messer@fws.gov

Or call the central office number at: 808-443-2300

Laulima: "Many hands working together." Photo by J. B. Friday | Friends of Hakalau Forest | Volunteer Wildlife Refuge Hawaii
Friends of Hakalau Forest. Photo by Dean Masutomi | Volunteer Wildlife Refuge Hawaii
Planting Koa with Friends of Hakalau Forest. Photo by Dean Masutomi | Volunteer Wildlife Refuge Hawaii
Friends of Hakalau Forest. Photo by Dean Masutomi | Volunteer Wildlife Refuge Hawaii
Nene Goose. Photo by Dean Masutomi
Sunday Morning at Hakalau Forest. Photo by Dean Masutomi
Hawaii ‘Akepa. Photo by Jack Jeffery
‘Ōhi‘a (ohia), photo by J.B. Friday
Photo by Lauren Gutierrez
Ma‘ohi‘ohi (Stenogyne calaminthoides). Photo by Dean Masutomi