Travelers can select from over 15 give back opportunities for a more meaningful and enriching travel experience that will also help protect and preserve Hawaii for the future. Choices range from reforestation projects and coastal cleanups to learning about sustainable farming at a loi kalo (taro patch). When travelers participate in the activity, they’ll receive a special discount or one additional night stay at no charge at participating hotels. Chances for travelers to work side-by-side with residents and other visitors offer the opportunity to better connect not only with the people of Hawaii, but also to themselves and their families while perpetuating the cultural and natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.

Many of the restoration opportunities focus on protecting the purity of the destination as well as its open expanses and pristine natural beauty. The Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative offers a chance for travelers to literally use their hands to help the land and ecosystem on the island of Hawaii. Travelers get to not only plant trees, but can build trails. Visitors can also focus on propagating the plants as well as removing weeds and gathering native seeds as part of the goal of enabling the forests to flourish. Travel2change’s range of programs combine an activity with malama while visiting Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the island of Hawaii. Among the choices, a hike at Kauai’s Kokee State Park north of Waimea Canyon brings visitors up-close to native plants and forest birds. While there, they are able to give back by removing invasive plant species to protect the lush park’s ecosystem.

Travelers can protect and preserve Hawaii for the future through hands-on cleanup initiatives as part of Malama Hawaii. Maui’s Pacific Whale Foundation’s Coastal Marine Debris Monitoring Program with the help of the public has removed and documented more than 50,000 pieces of marine debris. It invites travelers to assist in their mission by providing them with cleanup supplies. Visitors are then asked to use them along any part of Maui’s coastline and complete datasheets on their efforts so they can be added to the marine debris database. A rare opportunity at the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor on Oahu welcomes volunteers to help restore and preserve the famed battleship, the USS Missouri. As part of their malama contribution, travelers can get involved by cleaning (and get to see parts of the ship not open to the public), sanding, sweeping, using touch-up paint, and moving items while on the historic attraction.