Volunteer at Tipu Tipu
Tipu Tipu Restoration & Sustainability is a community-based organization dedicated to watershed restoration and native forest regeneration across the Hawaiian Islands. We believe that hands-on experience is one of the most powerful ways to reconnect people to the ʻāina, and our volunteer events are designed with that in mind. Whether you’re a longtime resident or new to the islands, there’s a place for you in this work.
Volunteer days take place at two locations on Maui. At our greenhouse and seed farm, generously hosted by Pacific Biodiesel Farm, volunteers help grow and care for native Hawaiian plants — from seeding and transplanting to harvesting seeds from species like Aʻaliʻi, Ilima, Maʻo, Milo, and Wili Wili. During the rainy season, we head into the field for out-planting events in the Wahikuli watershed on West Maui — a place whose name means “the noisy place,” reflecting the thriving forests, rivers, and birdlife that once defined this landscape. Together, we are working to bring that life back.
The stakes of this work are high. Hawaiʻi’s native dryland forests have been severely reduced by industrial agriculture and poor land management, leaving vast areas of exposed, erosion-prone soil. When stormwater crosses these barren landscapes, it carries sediment downhill and into the ocean, where it smothers coral reefs — identified by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health as the single greatest threat to nearshore water quality, and a priority issue in the state’s 2030 Coral Reef Strategy. West Maui watersheds like Wahikuli have been specifically called out as critical to restore. By replanting native trees, shrubs, and grasses, we stabilize sediment on the land, recharge freshwater aquifers, and reduce the brown water events that degrade our reefs. When the forest recovers, the entire system ecosystem begins to heal. Register and subscribe below to join us.
Upcoming Volunteer Days
Tipu Tipu is currently offering volunteer days at our native Hawaiian plant nursery and seed bank location in Māʻalaea, as well as volunteer events at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, a priority conservation area and critical habitat for ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot), the aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt), and other endangered migratory waterbirds.
Volunteer activities are led by our field biologists and include hands-on field restoration work related the care of our native Hawaiian saplings, shrubs, and grasses, invasive species management, and other field restoration fundamentals. Volunteers of all experience levels are welcome, and asked to bring a water bottle and hat / sun protection.
-
September 5th, 2026 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
-
September 19th, 2026, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Māʻalaea Native Plant Nursery
-
October 3rd, 2026 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
-
October 17th, 2026, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Māʻalaea Native Plant Nursery
-
November 7th, 2026 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
-
November 21st, 2026, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Māʻalaea Native Plant Nursery
-
December 5th, 2026 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
-
December 19th, 2026, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM @ Māʻalaea Native Plant Nursery
Sign up to Volunteer
Fill out the form below to subscribe to our event opportunities.
Volunteer with Tipu Tipu
Join Tipu Tipu for a day of education, community engagement, and restoration at our seed farm and Hawaiian plant nursery, up in the Wahikuli Watershed, and at the Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge! Volunteer activities will involve native Hawaiian plant propagation and care, seed collection and saving, planting, invasive species management, scientific data collection, and more.