As a nature 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 60 Hawaiʻi environmental volunteering programs, and how easy it is to join them.
In 2009, 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.
I’m now working on a phase 2 for 2010-11—”Preserve Hawaiʻi”—to increase the volume and detail of information publicly available through volunteer calendars, newsletters, and online outreach. If you would like to donate to Preserve Hawai’i, every dollar of your contribution will go directly to support these outreach efforts, helping to bring much-needed volunteer help to over 60 environmental programs throughout the Hawaiian Islands. We welcome your support. Click here to make a donation on the Tri-Isle RC&D site (scroll down to Preserve Hawai’i, then click donate to go directly to PayPal’s secure site).
And feel free to contact me with any questions. I hope you’ll find just the project you’ve been looking for through the Preserve Hawaiʻi resource …
Aloha,
Kirsten Whatley
preservehawaii@gmail.com
ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia.
No task is too big when done together by all.
