Preserve Hawaiʻi

I never really knew if my small actions were making that much of a dent in the big picture of our planet. But the experience of laulima, many hands working together, showed me the power of our collective action … We were thousands of feet up leeward Haleakala on Maui, about 30 of us volunteers and the talented team from Maui Restoration Group, the stewards of Auwahi — a restored area of mountainside teeming with indigenous trees, plants, and birds. As we climbed, we passed a section of native trees that had been planted by a previous group of volunteers. They were already head high, and thriving. All day we dug holes and tucked in tiny plants, up and down the steep terrain. By early afternoon, 30 of us had planted nearly 1,300 trees — a small forest! It was a testament to me of how one person can truly make a difference when we work together …