Newsletter
Sign up to our email list and receive quarterly updates throughout the year:
Updates from April - June 2026
We have had plenty of sun and gentle rain. Everything is growing! Especially the weeds!
Kamehameha III and Surfrider
Mahalo to the students, families, and staff of King Kamehameha III Elementary School, and volunteers from Surfrider Foundation Maui, who came together to plant native species and learn about the vital connection between the mountains, streams, and ocean. Wonderful to see so many keiki helping care for the ʻāina.
Will your group be next? We’re signing up planting groups for next year, from October to May. Email planting@alohapuukukui.org
Kāhuli
Kāhuli (Hawaiian land snails) are at risk of disappearing forever. The group called SEPP (Snail Extinction Prevention Program) is trying to prevent that. Predators are a severe threat and SEPP is working on ways to control them and creating predator-free exclusions. Some snails are being raised in captivity where they are safe from predators. Once the population has grown enough, the snails can be released back to areas that are predator-free.
Papa Lāʻau
At Kamehameha School’s Papa Lāʻau (Hawaiian Ethnobotany) summer program, students learned about the history and uses of Hawaiian plants. Aloha Pu‘u Kukui and The Nature Conservancy hosted this course, using the forest as a living laboratory.
We will soon have exciting news about cultural workshops that we’re hosting this fall. We’ll post on Facebook and Instagram with more details.
Have you seen Koʻokoʻolau?
The Koʻokoʻolau (Bidens micrantha) is a flowering shrub in the sunflower family only found in Hawaii. They are known for their yellow flowers and sawtooth leaves. Try to spot one on your next hike. The leaves are traditionally used to brew herbal teas.
Third Thursday Volunteering
Do you remember the weeds I mentioned at the beginning? We need your help to cut them back.
We also collect seeds, plant, and learn about native Hawaiian plants. Plus, the fresh air is magical.
Join us, every Third Thursday, 9am-1pm, volunteer@alohapuukukui.org
We are so grateful for all of the organizations who have been generous in sharing their time and talents:
Peace Winds Japan
County of Maui
PGA TOUR
Maui Hands
Maui Surfrider
King Kamehameha III Elementary School
Osaic Foundation
Merriman’s Kapalua
Maui Land and Pineapple
UW Stevens Point
Kula Kaiapuni ‘o Lahainaluna
Kamehameha Schools Maui
Andaz Maui at Wailea
Hyatt Regency Maui Ka‘anapali
Hope to see you out in the forest soon,
-John Meier, President, Aloha Pu‘u Kukui