Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, Waikoloa

Happy to volunteer for the reforestation and rehabilitation of Hawaii’s original dry forest which is mainly destroyed and very endangered. It is part of the tour by Hawaii Forest and Trail - we chose the option that includes volunteering before the tour. Our small group collected over 3 buckets of a’ali’i seeds which will be replanted in the nursery and then planted back into the preserve, also by local and tourist volunteers. Now heading into the mountains. The Hawaiian shield volcanoes are the largest mountains on Earth. Mauna Kea is one of the 5 volcanoes that make up Big Island and is the tallest mountain in the world (higher than the Everest) - from the ocean floor where it starts. Mauna Kea Volcano rises 13,796 feet (4,205 meters) above sea level but extends about 19,700 feet (6,000 meters) below sea level to meet the deep ocean floor.

During my visit to the Big Island, this had to be one of my top. Finding the WiliWili Tree among the combination of flows brought challenge, but my team and I tend to an acre of land here every month. It may be dry and windy, but it's definitely a spot to see if near Waikoloa.