Rotary Club of Upcountry Maui invites community to volunteer at Kula’s Fire Restoration Nursery

The Rotary Club of Upcountry Maui will host a community volunteer service day at the Kula Community Watershed Alliance (KCWA) Community Restoration Nursery on Friday May 29th from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Located in Upper Kula just off Kekaulike Avenue near Kula Lodge, the event is open to the public and welcomes community members of all ages and abilities.

Volunteers will work alongside KCWA staff in the nursery, planting native Hawaiian species — including pukiawe, pilo, maile, and ʻaʻaliʻi — that are being propagated for large-scale replanting in the Kula burn scar left by the August 2023 wildfires. Tasks will vary in physical demand, and several activities can be completed while seated at a table, making this an inclusive opportunity for anyone who wants to give back to the ʻāina.

The event carries special meaning for Rotary members. In 2025, the Hawaiʻi Rotary District 5000 Foundation awarded KCWA a $103,000 grant through its Maui Fires Relief Fund to expand the very nursery where volunteers will be working — funding infrastructure including a solar-powered irrigation system, two 60-foot hoop houses, and a community shade and workshop structure.

“This is a full-circle moment for Rotary,” said Mary Albitz, President of  the Rotary Club of Upcountry Maui. “Our District helped make this nursery possible, and now our members and neighbors get to put their hands in the soil and be part of the healing work it was built for. We hope this day inspires more people across Maui to get connected to the remarkable organizations doing this work right in our backyard.”

KCWA was founded by Kula residents — many of whom lost homes in the 2023 fire — to lead community-driven land restoration. Working across more than 200 acres and 70+ landowners, the organization is restoring native biodiversity, improving watershed health, and building long-term wildfire resilience for the entire Kula moku.

Community members interested in attending are encouraged to sign up in advance at: https://bit.ly/Rotary-at-KCWA

Participation is free. Light work gloves are recommended. Additional details, including parking and what to bring, will be shared upon registration.