Volunteering with Oahu Army Natural Resource Program

OANRP volunteers stand among Ti leaves and Koa trees on Mauna Kapu.

A few months ago at the DLNR Christmas party I met a person that works with Oahu Army Natural Resource Program.  Kahale talked about his job and how I should volunteer with them.  I wasn't very adamant right away because I was "busy".  That's what everyone says right?  "I am busy."  or "I am too busy."  Fast forward almost half a year and I am still pretty "busy" but, I found the time and the heart in me to commit one day out of the week to volunteer with them. 

I emailed Kahale and told him I was ready to volunteer.  He put me in touch with Celeste, one of the outreach coordinator.  We emailed back and forth some paper work and liability forms and I was finally on the list, cleared to volunteer with them. 

Saturday was the first time I volunteered with them and I absolutely loved it!  This is how my day went. 

We met at the base yard around 8 am and packed and loaded the trucks.  Our project for the day was to weed.  We had a team of 12.  I talked with the other volunteers while we loaded the trucks and waited around and got to know the others a little more.  We talked about how hard it was to sign up because spots fill up really fast.  When I logged on it was five minutes past noon.  Noon was the time the website opened for volunteering.  Within a matter of fifteen minutes all of the spots were taken, for all of the volunteer days of the months May and June.  Katie unfortunately couldn't go with me this time around, maybe next time. 

We drove in two trucks with all of our weeding tools and herbicide.  We hiked in which took us about an hour.  Along the way we got to see a bunch of native plants.  Ohia, Koa, and Uluhe Launui were just a few that Kim pointed out to the group.  We were lucky enough to see Elepaio on the way to the site as well.  When we got to the site we ready to weed with Garlon (Herbicide), clippers, hand saws, and hedgers.  We cleared a really big area of clidemia, strawberry guava, and thimble berry.  Among these weeds were native plants such as manono, uluhe, and a bunch of different ferns that I have yet to learn the names of.  After 3-4 hours of weeding we had a break for lunch.  Clouds rolled in and out while we ate.  After lunch Kim asked us if we could weed for another thirty minutes and then we will go exploring. 

On the exploratory hike she pointed out rare native plants.  We also searched for the elusive happy face spider and some native snails.  We were in luck! The happy face spider we saw was relaxing with her babies underneath a Manono leaf, and a snail was snoozing under some ohia leaves.  We hiked and took pictures until we reached our turn around point. 

I was so happy and stoked I got to volunteer with OANRP.  I can't wait to go again, I've learned and saw so many new things just on this one trip.

Kim leads a safety briefing before we start our hike.  

Volunteer forms are passed around to initial. 

Elaine and Brian talking story on Mauna Kapu.

Brian carries an extra large pack, he's one of the team leaders carrying our herbicide supplies for weeding. 

We pass by huge boulders along the trail. 

Kim shows us the Manono plant. 

   The view of above Nanakuli.

The group skirts along a cliff side. 

Kim and Brian distribute the herbicide. 

Here is one of the volunteers "cut and stump" a strawberry guava. 

Cat and Matt work on some clidemia either pulling out the roots or cutting near the base and applying herbicide. 

A little higher on the hillside Elaine battled another type of invasive weed.  Thimbleberry has thorns so you had to be extra careful.

Two volunteer work in a sea of thimbleberry, clidemia and strawberry guava. 

As we were working a Philonesia snail said thanks for clearing his habitat of invasive weeds. 

After weeding for four hours the group got to hike and see what else the trail had to offer.  Kim and Brian showed us a few rare natives that were out planted by the army.

Achatinella snoozed on the underside of leaves. 

Another critter that was hiding under leaves was this Happy Face Spider with her clutch of babies. 

When we got back to the cars we washed all of the equipment down. 

After washing up we had time for one group picture. 

Thank you again for giving me this opportunity to volunteer with you guys.  If any of you are interested in giving back to the trails you hike on please refer to this site.

   
Volunteering with OANRP from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.