Our Goals:
Protect, Preserve, & Educate
• We protect the unique native species of Mauna Kahālāwai, natural and cultural treasures that exist nowhere else in the world.
• We preserve forested watersheds, native ecosystems, and critical natural resources that generate most of Maui's freshwater supply.
• We educate our community. Do you know where your water comes from? The more you know, the more you can help!
Our Mission
With a 50,000-acre management area encompassing Mauna Kahālāwai, our mission is to protect and preserve Maui’s native ecosystems and freshwater supply and prevent further degradation through collaborative forest management
OUR IMPACT
Dirty work for clean water.
Since our inception in 1998, we have managed the watersheds of West Maui that provide water for Central, South, and West Maui. We protect fragile ecosystems from feral ungulates by building fences to keep them from degrading the landscape, and we combat invasive weeds that choke out native species and colonize our forests. We do this dirty work because our forests are worth a lot more than you might think.
25.2
MILES OF FENCES BUILT
As well as 31,962 acres of land protected above fences
126
SPECIES OF RARE PLANTS, ANIMALS AND COMMUNITIES PROTECTED
Including 23,310 acres of critical habitat for endangered plants protected
103.87
MILES OF PERENNIAL STREAMS RESTORED
Within the 47,321 acres of Partnership lands
Get to Know The Team
Our full-time team of 14 men and women plus 1 Kupu AmeriCorps intern works to protect our native forests and freshwater resources. Coming from Maui, Hawaii, and the United States, each of our team members brings unique knowledge and experience that helps carry out the work we do. We invite you to read on, get to know us, and apply for a job!
DO NOT TAKE US FOR GRANTED!
Our funding comes from public and private grants and small donations. We do not have a dedicated source of funding. Our total operating budget in 2021 was approximately $1.36million, but it would take about three times that to fund the full implementation of our Watershed Management Plan. We think that is a small price to pay for the value of our watersheds.
The protection of West Maui watersheds--our source of fresh, clean water--relies heavily on our ability to generate funds for years to come. Expanded funds are needed to sustain the progress we have made and to protect more acres. Your support means the world to us.
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PRESS
“Spend a day with the team in the field and they’ll tell you names of mountain peaks you didn’t even know had names, and excitedly stop every couple hundred feet to discuss a plant on the path. This watershed they’re working to protect is habitat for 147 rare species of plants—forty-nine of which are endangered—and there are more than two dozen plants with fewer than fifty individuals known to remain in the wild.”
Story by Kyle Ellison. Photos by Matt McDonald.
Hana Hou Magazine / Read Full Article
Get Involved
The work we do protects the water you drink. Watershed management helps keep native forests intact and free of weeds and invasive ungulates. This forest collects and cleans fog and rainwater for you. Here are some things you can do to protect it
Volunteer With Us
Love the mountains and forests? Want to learn more about our native plants and animals while also helping to protect them? Come join us on a volunteer stewardship hike, led by trained MKWP crew members! We conduct two separate trips, one to the Waiheʻe Ridge Trail, and the other to Kīpuka Olowalu.
We love bringing students, hula hālau, sports teams, offices and other community groups out into the field. If you have a group you would like come out with us, please contact us.
Make a Donation Online
We strive to manage 50,000 acres of rugged mountain forest with a crew of only 11 men and women! You can imagine how far that stretches our energy, gear, and resources. Here at MKWP, we rely on grants and donations for funding. If you believe in protecting water sources, precious native species, and priceless cultural resources, please consider making a tax-deductable donation to our cause. Every little bit helps!
Living Responsibly
As homemakers, outdoor enthusiasts, gardeners, business owners and citizens of Maui, we can all learn to live and play responsibly, without making a negative impact on our ʻāina, the land which feeds and nourishes our bodies and souls.
