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Monday 7am - 5:30pm Tuesday 7am - 5:30pm Wednesday 7am - 5:30pm Thursday 7am - 5:30pm Friday 7am - 5:30pm

Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership KMWP

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Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership KMWP

Working together to protect and sustain the forests, waters and people of the Koʻolau Mountains.

Working together to protect and sustain the forests, waters and people of the Koʻolau Mountains

06/17/2026

There are so many benefits to protecting our native forests, we focus on them because they increase aquifer recharge (meaning more drinkable water for our island), but it certainly does not stop there. More native forests covering our mountains helps across the watersheds from mauka into makai. They hold onto soil and reduce erosion going into our oceans which gives us healthier reefs. They slow water down and hold it in place meaning less intense flash flood surges downstream. They also resist fire because they are naturally adapted against promoting fires.

So if you were to do one thing to improve the health of our land it would be to grow more native forests. Even in our own back yards, native plants make a difference for us and the future of our islands. Check out this fantastic article to learn more.

06/16/2026

Kīpuka is a term we use for a section of native forest that lava has passed around. It is a space that is saved from destruction almost like a moment frozen in time that gives us a little glimpse of what once was. While we usually use the term for forests that were saved from lava, sometimes you can apply it to a forest that was saved from a different destructive force, invasive species.

For our last Mālama Nā Koʻolau Day this month we will be visiting a very special Kīpuka, the Mānoa Cliff Restoration Site! This site is the result of an over 20 year long effort to sustain and protect a pocket of native forest along a section of the Mānoa Cliff Trail. It is a shining example of a successful grassroots effort to conserve a site through continuous community led action!

The event is on Saturday, June 27th. Get your RSVPs and waivers turned in right away so you don't miss out. We will be working on some extra special projects, and we are very excited to have you with us.

Expect a day of mālama ʻāina and a chance to learn about the ongoing efforts by the Manoa Cliff Restoration Project hui and the many other organizations striving to conserve this special place! As an extra treat for all of you plant lovers, when the work is done, we’ll offer a short hiking tour through the site to explore the many unique trailside gems.

Some more info about the day:
Where: Mānoa Cliff Restoration Site - access through Puʻu ʻŌhiʻa Trail
When: June 27th
Check in at 8:30am at the Puʻu ʻŌhiʻa Trail parking lot.
Event will run from 9am - 12pm at the site
(optional interpretive hike to follow, with estimated end time ~1:30/2pm)
What: Our focus will be removing invasive species so that the native plants and animals can thrive.
Who: All-ages are welcome to join, but you need to be a registered volunteer to participate.

All volunteers must complete our 2026 Volunteer Registration forms to RSVP & attend this event. The deadline to submit these forms is Tuesday June 16th.

For more details or to RSVP, email [email protected] or visit our Events Calendar linked here: https://www.koolauwatershed.org/get-involved/events-calendar

06/15/2026

Check out KMWP crew's service-learning adventure day in Waimea Valley!

We visited sites all throughout the Valley and learned so much with Waimea's wonderful staff. It was an incredible experience, and we all walked away with a better understanding of the cultural side of our stewardship work. One of our favorite parts of the day was when we had the chance to give back and show our aloha 'āina in action by clearing invasive weeds around some of the endangered native plants that they protect in their gardens. What we learned and the connections we made are things that we will carry with us as we fulfill our kuleana to care for the watersheds of the Ko'olau Mountains. What an awesome day!

The P in KMWP stands for partnership and days like this are one of the many ways that we put that into action. All of these fantastic organizations have united through our common goal, to protect and restore our native forests and empower our communities witht the knowledge and skills to be effective stewards of the land. We love to spend the time to learn and work toghether, it is a celebration of our connection to each and every one of our partners because it empowers us to do so much more for the Ko'olau Watersheds. This is one of the best parts of being KMWP because we know that we are all building a better, more abundant future for all of the generations to come.

Waimea Valley

06/09/2026

Come and spend a sunny Saturday with us at Ala Mahamoe. You'll learn all about the amazing species growing there and help to care for this very special Native Dryland Forest!

The start of summer is less than 2 weeks away and we are preparing for all that the season brings. It means higher heat and less water for our land, soon we will be seeing the island changing from the vibrance of Spring into the more subdued sepia tones of the dry season. It also brings increased fire risks and we have all seen how devastating those out of control blazes can be. Just thinking about it might leave you wondering, what can be done about this, how can we reduce the risks?

Well one of the best ways to get started is working to replace fire-prone invaded forests with Native forest cover. You can learn all about this and more at Ala Mahamoe while you help us make a difference and reduce the risks for our forests reserve and the community.

Our Mālama Nā Ko‘olau Double Day at Ala Mahamoe this month will be on Saturday, June 20th.

Be sure to sign up soon RSVPs are due tomorrow, June 9th!

There are two sessions, a morning and an afternoon one. Volunteers may sign up for whichever one fits their schedule or for a full-day experience, do both:
Session 1: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Session 2: 12:30pm - 3:30pm
Full Day: 9:00am - 3:30pm, with a 45 minute break at noon for lunch
All volunteers need to be registered, so be sure to get your RSVPs and waivers completed ASAP or you might miss out on this awesome opportunity.
For more information about this event, as well as instructions for how to sign up, you can visit our Events Calendar: https://tockify.com/kmwpvolunteerevents/detail/55/1781982000000
or email us: [email protected]

06/06/2026

It's Field Crew Friday!

Check out our awesome crew, they quite literally go above and beyond to protect and restore our native forests all across the Ko'olau Mountains. Whether they are trekking through miles of mud and uluhe to find a stand of invasive shrubs, wading through cold mountain streams, building fences to keep our forests safe from destructive animals, or cutting a trail up towards a forest of fire prone eucalyptus, they are showing up for all of the people of the Ko'olau. We count on them every day to be there for our land, ensuring that the future of our watersheds is thriving. What better day to say mahalo and to celebrate these hammahs than World Environment day!

The work this crew does to protect our native forests is essential to the health of our island and it makes a difference all across the watersheds, from mauka into makai and back again. So much of our environment depends on these thriving native forests and the better job we do at caring for them, the better future we can build for our island.

These forests have some of the most unique and amazing species in the entire world, but they are so much more than that. Native forests hold water which allows it time to soak into our land and recharge our aquifers. They slow the flow of water in heavy storms resulting in less erosion and much less chance of flooding in our communities, they hold soils and other debris in place keeping it from washing out into the ocean and damaging our coral reefs, and they even resist fire. So as we celebrate this World Environment day, send some aloha to our crew and to all of the other amazing people out there caring for our environment.

to learn more about how our native forests help to protect our land and communities, check out this fantastic UHERO blog post - https://uhero.hawaii.edu/native-forests-as-critical-infrastructure-the-economic-case-for-watershed-management-in-the-ala-wai/

06/05/2026

Last month KMWP and our Mālama Nā Ko'olau'olau volunteer hui spent a beautiful day caring for a very special native Forest restoration site alongside the Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail. Check out our pics from the day!

We hauled water, cleared brush, rebuilt pathways, removed invasive species and other weedy plants, and we even got the opportunity to plant a few native species. Afterwards, we took a little hiking adventure up to the summit stairs and enjoyed seeing all of the beautiful native species along the way. We were even treated to a double rainbow on the way down. What a great close to a fantastic day and a perfect reminder that wai (water) and aloha (love) are for everyone.

When we got started in this site, there were a few old Koa trees, and a sea of invasive strawberry guava, ironwood, and eucalyptus surrounding them. Now, less than 5 years later and through the work of many fantastic volunteers who came out to show their Aloha, we've started to reclaim this little slice of native forest. When we cleared the strawberry guava, baby Koa seeds that had waited for years and years in the soil, smothered under a blanket of toxic guava leaves, started to sprout. We've watched them grow from sprouts barely an inch tall with their first tiny little leaflets reaching towards the Sun, and now they're taller than most of us.

We truly could not do it without all of the fantastic volunteers who come out to put their Aloha into action and mālama 'āina with us. Caring for our native forests helps us build healthier watersheds and a better future for all. Water touches all lives, and the Aloha we show to our land ensures that it will be there for many generations to come.

05/31/2026

Mahalo to for a wonderful day of connection and celebration! 🌱
At today’s Science and Sustainability Festival, we made native seedballs and shared all about the importance of protecting our native forests.
We would like to give a big shout-out to the many hands that contributed to making over a hundred seedballs! These seedballs are packed with thousands of seeds, so we can grow more native plants for our watersheds. 💧

05/29/2026

For the first of our three service learning days in June, we’ll be visiting the Nuʻuanu Pali Native Forest Demonstration Garden!
We invite you to join us on Saturday, June 13th for a fun-filled day of hands-on restoration at this special site.
Activities may include clearing invasive weeds, caring for native plantings, and dispersing seed balls!
When: Saturday, June 13th, 9am - 12pm
Where: Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside

Spots may fill up quickly. Be sure to get your RSVPs in by June 2nd.
New to volunteering with KMWP? Every volunteer must submit a yearly registration form prior to joining us for all service learning events. For more details on how to RSVP, please visit our Events Calendar at the link below or email us at [email protected].

05/28/2026

To close out Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Month, we’re sharing our top 3 worst invasive plant targets: Albizia, Mule’s Foot Fern, and Cane Tibouchina!
Swipe to learn more about these noxious invasive plants and why they’ve earned their places in the ranking…

For more information about invasive species, check out these resources from a few of our partner organizations:
The Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council’s Invasive Species Profile List: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/
Plant Pono: https://plantpono.org/

11/22/2025

It's Field Crew Friday! 💪🔨
This week, the crew took on the invasive Mule's Foot fern - Angiopteris evecta.
This fern aggressively takes over forests by releasing thousands of wind-swept spores. These spores go on to grow into dense stands of Mule's Foot, with fronds that are known to grow up to 23 feet long! These massive fronds shade out our native species, depriving them of the sunlight they need to grow. This further creates invasive dominant forests that lack the variety and collaboration between plants that we see in native ones!
Taking on invasives like Angiopteris is hard work. This species in particular is a real beast to control. We want to give a big mahalo to our field crew for all they do to help our forests thrive! 💪🌱🫶

Address

2674 Waimano Home Road
Pearl City, HI
96782

Opening Hours

Monday	7am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	7am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	7am - 5:30pm
Thursday	7am - 5:30pm
Friday	7am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+18084568456

Website

http://www.koolauwatershed.org/

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