Mālama nā Ko‘olau day at the Mānoa Cliff Forest Restoration Site
Saturday, March 14th
**The deadline for RSVPs is Tuesday, March 3rd**
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Who: Anyone who is interested in learning about our native forests and caring for these incredible places is invited to be part of the restoration project. Participants of all ages and ability levels are welcome, but only registered KMWP volunteers can join these events. You must turn in your completed volunteer application forms by March 3rd to be eligible.
The 2026 volunteer forms and instructions can be found here.
We have 25 spots open for each session and they are filled on a first come first serve basis, any additional volunteers who sign up will be placed on a waiting list.
What: This is a Service-learning opportunity, the volunteers will be clearing invasive species and protecting native forests to grow our watershed resources and empower community action.
When: March 14th 2026 --- 9am to 12pm
Where: Manoa Cliff Restoration Project. Park at the trailhead for Puʻu ʻŌhiʻa trail and meet the KMWP staff. We will lead a short hike to the site. Keep in mind that the trailhead parking lot is quite small, so carpool whenever possible.
Why: This site is on public lands and is frequented by hikers from all over the world. That amount of traffic through the area presents a lot of challenges but also a great opportunity to teach, learn, and care for a high-impact site. This location has been stewarded by the Mānoa Cliff Restoration Project for over 20 years and the oasis of native diversity they created in that time serves as a really good example of what a dedicated effort at conservation and reforestation can accomplish.
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If you are not currently registered for the 2026 calendar year, your RSVP is not complete until you turn in a volunteer registration form. The KMWP volunteer registration forms are due by March 3rd.
Once you have turned in your KMWP volunteer registration form, it will be reviewed. If it is filled out correctly, you will become a registered volunteer and your spot will be reserved for this event. We will send an information packet with more details about the site and what to expect/prepare for.
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If you have already turned in your completed 2025 volunteer forms and been accepted into the volunteer program, then all you need to do is RSVP. You can RSVP for events through this Outreach Calendar or via email, but anyone who is not registered for 2026 will need to fill out the updated volunteer application forms. (See above for a link to the waiver forms and instructions)
Incomplete or incorrectly filled volunteer paperwork will be rejected, so be sure to check the instructions before you begin. We've included directions for filling forms via computer and smartphone.
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Here is a little breakdown of how these Mālama Nā Koʻolau (MNK) service-learning events work:
- We will host at least 1 volunteer day each month at our various restoration sites and rotate locations so that everyone in the program has a chance to visit each of the sites.
- These events will generally be for a maximum of 25 people at any given site, although some sites have a larger capacity.
- Reservations for the monthly events are open to the public and filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Check-ins will generally be around 8:30am and the restoration activities will go from about 9am-12pm, although we may add extra time or additional volunteer sessions if the site allows.
- The regular restoration sites include: the Pali Lookout Garden, Ala Mahamoe in Moanalua Valley, Mānoa cliffs, Waiʻalae Nui at Wiliwilinui Trail, and Waihe‘e Valley.
- To join these events, you must be registered with KMWP as a Mālama Nā Koʻolau Volunteer and have your application turned in and approved before any event.
- Here is a link to the folder with the Volunteer Application Forms, examples of correctly filled forms, and instructions. Please read the instructions before filling the application. Incorrectly and/or incompletely filled applications will be flagged and rejected.
- Send completed forms tokoolaupartnership@gmail.com. Be sure to include the event and date you are RSVP’ing for.
- Once you have turned in your application and it is accepted, it will be good until December 31st of that year. You do not need to fill out another application for Mālama Nā Koʻolau events until January of the following year.
- Registered volunteers who want to join an event can RSVP via email.
- Some sites require extra waivers, those will be sent as needed to participants.
- If you visit all 5 of the regular sites, then you will be eligible for an invitation to special Mālama Nā Koʻolau events to be announced.
- We schedule a special event day at one of our elite sites approximately once a year and offer other special opportunities to our participants
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We will be holding these Mālama Nā Koʻolau service-learning events at least once a month for the rest of the year, but if you miss one, and want to help in a particular site, or just want to do a service day, then we can set up exclusive volunteer days in any of our main restoration sites. If you have the volunteer group, then we can arrange the location.
We also have the option for people to set up group events through the Mālama Nā Koʻolau (MNK) program, this allows us to open up more group opportunities across our range of sites. The way that it works is a group gets their members registered as MNK volunteers. Then these groups can set up workdays at any of the 5 main restoration sites (Pali, Waihe’e, Ala Mahamoe, Mānoa Cliffs, and WiliwiliNui trail).
The limitations to this option are:
- the group size must follow the capacity limits for the given site
- all applications expire in December,
- and the events are not exclusive.
The upsides to this option are:
- It allows groups to go to multiple sites and have events without filling out new applications for each one, and
- The group members will be registered MNK volunteers so they can join the regular events too.
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Feel free to reach out for more details or to set up an event.
Emailkoolaupartnership@gmail.com with any questions!
