Resolve to protect the Hawaiian ecosystem from invasive, non-native plant species by volunteering for “Stewardship at the Summit" programs in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, now through March 2015.
Stewardship at the Summit begins at 9 a.m. and ends at noon. The dates from January through March are: January 9, 15, 24, and 31; February 7, 11, 20 and 28; and March 6, 14, 21, and 27.
Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center at 9 a.m. on any of the above dates. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools are provided. No advance registration is required, and there is no cost to participate, but park entrance fees apply.
Volunteers spent more than 2,000 hours restoring more than 15 acres of native rainforest within the national park last year. Countless Himalayan ginger, faya, strawberry guava, and other invasive, non-native plants that threaten the native understory near the summit of Kīlauea volcano have been removed. In their place, once-shaded ‘ama‘u and hāpu‘u tree ferns have re-emerged, and pa‘iniu, kāwa‘u, and other important native plants are returning to the stewardship plots.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
