Blog Archives

Soon after exploring some of the lower accessible waterfalls of Makamakaole, the crew (Katie, Ryan, Christian and I) was eager to venture to a another set of waterfalls along the upper part of the stream called “13 Crossings.” We first started following a faint swath through “double head-high” guinea grass… or california grass. I wasn’t […]

[Part 1] [Part 2] After volunteering with the Kahoolawe Island Restoration Commission (KIRC) over the past week, Katie, Christian, Ryan and I decided to stay the weekend on Maui for some short waterfall hikes and coastal relaxation. Setting out early, we ended up driving counter-clockwise loop around West Maui, and started out with a two-part […]

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Photo Gallery] Before leaving Kaho‘olawe, we were told by the KIRC staff that we may have time to swim / snorkel off of the boat if we were able to clean up and pack quickly… So after “quickly” packing and cleaning up the facilities at camp at […]

with contributions by Katie Ersbak [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4][Photo Gallery] On the last day of field work on Kahoʻolawe, we collected bunches of pili grass seeds for out planting, like the older individuals we planted in Hakioawa the other day. Jamie explains that the seeds disperse a short distance by wind, […]

with contributions by Katie Ersbak [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4][Photo Gallery] Getting another early start, I was particularly stoked because I was asked to drive one of the trucks… not a passenger one, but one of the dually trucks that was meant for transporting equipment, etc. After fueling up, we stopped by […]

with contributions by Katie Ersbak [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4][Photo Gallery] Most people never really think about going to Kaho‘olawe… Mainly because much of the island had been obliterated by the navy over the period of several decades after World War II, and many believe that there is nowhere to walk on […]

[Part 1] [Part 2] With the increase in foot traffic on the local trails due to social media, I constantly remind our crew to make sure our time in the mountains is well spent. Whether it being conservation work, mapping / surveying native species, invasive species removal or basic trail maintenance / clean up, I’ve […]

[Part 1] [Part 2] With our recent lesson from Dr. Nori, several of us were motivated to do more snail surveying along the Waianae Summit. With the same group (Nate, J, Katie, Ryan, Jenelyn and I, and Aaron, who wasn’t able to make other trip) did a moderate traverse along the Waianae Summit from Star […]

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] On our last day on the Na Pali Coast, we had a few hours to explore Milolii Valley before we kayaking to Polihale Beach. Though the girls wanted to hang out at the beach and relax, the guys still wanted one last adventure and decided to hike […]

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] Though our stay at Kalalau was short lived, we were still able to see what we had come for: Waimakemake Falls / Big Pools, an epic sunset on the beach, and a sky full of stars. After a well-deserved nights rest, we were able to get an […]