As a writer, I realized that when you encourage people to visit a place, no matter how conscious they are, that impact on that environment adds up. Was there a way we could go beyond even the low-impact approach of ecotourism and give something back to the places we visit?
The answers to that question led me to write the book Preserving Paradise: Opportunities in Volunteering for Hawaiʻi’s Environment (Island Heritage Publishing, 2008). And I started this website—a place to find out what’s happening week-to-week with over 80 Hawaiʻi environmental volunteering programs, and how easy it is to join them.
From 2009-2011, I developed a nonprofit outreach project to further share Hawaiʻi volunteering information with 300+ industry leaders in the youth, visitor, and business sectors. 501c3 sponsorship through Tri-Isle RC&D and support from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Natural Resources Program, Atherton Family Foundation, KAHEA-Hawaiian Environmental Alliance, and several private supporters made this outreach possible.
Preserve Hawaiʻi has since moved all its outreach efforts to social media—you’ll find the latest volunteer projects of our partner organizations through our regular Facebook and Twitter dispatches (see links at right).
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions. I hope you’ll find just the project you’ve been looking for …
Aloha,
Kirsten Whatley
preservehawaii@gmail.com
ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia.
No task is too big when done together by all.
