VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR LARGE-SCALE PROJECT TO REMOVE INVASIVE MANGROVE FROM KAILUA WATERWAYS DLNR and Hui o Koʻolaupoko Partner on Multi-Year Restoration Effort

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR LARGE-SCALE PROJECT TO REMOVE INVASIVE MANGROVE FROM KAILUA WATERWAYS

DLNR and Hui o Koʻolaupoko Partner on Multi-Year Restoration Effort

KAILUA, OʻAHU, HAWAIʻI – Volunteers are being sought for a large-scale restoration effort that is underway to remove invasive red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) from Kailua’s waterways. The goal is to restore natural water flow, improve water quality, reduce flood risk, and protect critical habitat for Hawaiʻi’s endangered native waterbirds.

Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the multi-year project brings together the Oʻahu Branch of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR DOFAW), the Kailua-based nonprofit Hui o Koʻolaupoko (HOK), and community partners to restore nearly two miles of streams and wetlands surrounding Kailua’s Kawainui Marsh.

Introduced more than a century ago, invasive red mangrove now clogs waterways and degrades wetland habitat that endangered Hawaiian waterbirds depend on for nesting and feeding.

HOK will coordinate volunteers, schools, community groups and public and private landowners to remove mangrove seedlings and propagules by hand. Native wetland plants will be restored in cleared areas to prevent reinvasion and strengthen habitat for native wildlife.

“We’re honored to partner with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife to bring the wetland and bird habitat restoration techniques we’ve developed at Heʻeia State Park back to our hometown,” said HOK Executive Director Kristen Nālani Kāne. “This is the first of many phases needed to achieve functional eradication of mangrove from Kailua’s waterways, and community participation will be essential to its long-term success.”

“Removing invasive mangrove is essential to restoring the health and function of these wetlands. This project reflects what’s possible when agencies and community work together to create better habitat for Hawaiʻi’s native waterbirds and a more resilient ecosystem for future generations,” said Lailan Uy, a wetland biologist working with the University of Hawaiʻi Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit in cooperation with DLNR DOFAW.

Monthly volunteer workdays begin Saturday, September 26, 2026, and are open to participants ages 18 and older. Initial efforts will focus on removing small mangrove trees and seed pods along Kawainui Stream between Kawainui Neighborhood Park (Kaha Garden) and the Hāmākua Street Bridge.

Community members interested in volunteering or learning more about the project can visit the Hui o Koʻolaupoko website.