Limahuli National Tropical Botanical Garden, First Week, HI

Dates

Sep 12th - Sep 18th 2010

Service Project

Planting native plants & removing non-native plants

Free Days

Swimming, snorkeling, hiking

Accommodations

Tent camping near a house with bathroom & kitchen facilities -- limited bunkhouse space

Trip Rating

Strenuous : 2-mile hike to worksite on wet surfaces, hot & humid, lifting, kneeling, bending

Leaders

Equipment

Set in a lush tropical valley surrounded by towering peaks sculpted by eons of wind and rain, Limahuli National Garden and Preserve encompasses 1,000 acres on the north shore of Kauai'i. Flowing from the top of the valley at 3,300 feet above sea level, Limahuli Stream plummets over a 1,000 foot waterfall before coursing through the valley floor and merging with the ocean. Limahuli covers three distinct ecological zones and provides habitat for many of Hawai'i's endemic and indigenous species. Limahuli is one of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens chartered by the United States Congress in 1964 as a non-profit research garden. Limahuli offers an opportunity to learn about native plants as well as plants brought to the islands by voyaging Polynesians. Archaeological remains of some of the earliest known traces of the ancient Hawaiian culture were found at Limahuli. These striking features consist of ancient lava rock terraces (lo'i) where wetland taro continues to thrive as an important food crop. It was introduced and cultivated by Polynesians who arrived about 1,500 years ago.

We will work with the Limahuli staff on a wide range of projects including planting native plants, clearing overgrown areas, and removing non-native species.  Much of the work will be done in the “uplands” which is a difficult 2-mile hike from base camp, often carrying large heavy flats of plants to the worksite.  The trail can be slippery with mud and involves stream crossings.  At the site we work on very uneven terrain, sometimes cutting and hauling trees, digging and planting in very hot, humid conditions and you need to be in good physical shape for this project.

**Note: Participants on Hawaii projects must have paid for their airfare at least two months before the start date and furnish this information to the leaders. We have discovered that folks who do not have firm travel plans by this time often cancel, and these projects are hard to fill at the last minute.