Mālama Kula to host Kula Community Work Day on Aug. 8

As part of their ongoing efforts to help residents recover from the 2023 Kula Fire, Mālama Kula, will hold a Community Work Day on the morning of Aug. 8, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

While some properties in Kula have been rebuilt since the fire, and others are actively in the process of rebuilding, many have yet to begin the rebuilding process and are susceptible to overgrowth of invasive plants—most notably Black Wattle trees which served as fuel for the devastating 2023 fire. 

Crews will be helping to maintain properties where structures were lost to the Aug. 8, 2023 flames, and scatter wood chips on fire-affected properties to help with everything from soil retention to re-growth of non-native species.

“The strength of this recovery since day one,” said Executive Director, Kyle Ellison, “has been our incredible community and their willingness to serve and help those around them. This event is a way to continue giving back, and let our neighbors know weʻre still here.”

Interested participants can volunteer by signing up online, or by sending an email to malamakula@gmail.com

In addition to hosting regular work days, Mālama Kula has founded the Kula Community Green Waste Bin Program as a way to help residents fire-harden their homes, and has removed over a million pounds of fire fuels from Kula through the regular cutting and chipping of downed trees, which are transformed into wood chips and distributed for community and a resident use.

The group has also been working on hazard mitigation through the proactive cutting of firebreaks, as well as clearing debris from drainages, like trees in Hāpapa Gulch. 

For more information on the organization visit malamakula.org.