How to Give Back on Your Next Maui Vacation

The island of Maui is known for its sun-quenched beaches and lush tropical landscape, but it is also known for the destructive wildfire that devastated communities in 2023. A few years may have passed, but the island is still working to recover from the damage. One of the best ways to help a destination after it has experienced a natural disaster is by continuing to support the tourism economy in a responsible way. There are great ways to do that through voluntourism, even for family travelers.

Maui offers unique opportunities for tourists to make an impact while learning about the deep relationship between culture and nature that are a part of life on the Hawaiian Islands. The Mālama Hawai’i program (which translates to Care for Hawai’i) connects people with a range of activities that let you do everything from cleaning up beaches and parks to planting trees.

One such opportunity is outplanting the native Hawaiian dryland forest ecosystem plants at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. This portion of the island is home to a rare ecosystem impacted by invasive plant species threatening the native habitat. This particular portion of Maui’s landscape was partially burnt in a fire n 2019. Ordinarily, tourists don’t get to see parts of this refuge, but, by participating in voluntourism, you get to help it heal while seeing a part of the island otherwise off limits to visitors.

By participating in tree planting at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, you not only get to help rebuild the landscape and maintain the delicate ecosystem, but you also have the chance to teach kids about the importance of caring for nature and respecting the world we live in. And, as an added bonus, each time you return to Maui for future vacations, you and the family get to return to a destination you have helped make a little better for future generations.