Native Seed Collection Field Day

Aloha mai, join us for a fun field day at Kealakekua Mountain Reserve (KMR) collecting native Hawaiian seeds. We'll primarily be scouting for ʻiliahi and ʻaʻaliʻi seed. Lean more about native species that thrive in our forests, and help to restore native trees on the landscape.

We meet at ChoiceMART in Captain Cook and ride up together to KMR. 4WD is required to access the site. We can transport a limited number of people, however, if you have a 4WD vehicle that you would like to use, please indicate that when registering.

Safety:

This event is open to all 14 years or older. The terrain at KMR can be very rough and requires walking on ʻaʻa lava fields. Please be mindful of that and let me know if you have any injuries or physical limitations that may put you at risk of getting hurt. 

Schedule:

7:30am meet at ChoiceMART

8:00am protocol 

8:30am stop at nursery to load up tools and hop into side by side vehicles

9:00am head into the field to collect

11:00am break/lunch

11:30am final seed collecting

12:30pm head back to the nursery to drop-off seed

1:00pm head back to ChoiceMART 

1:30 pm Pau hana!

What to bring:

- covered shoes

- pants

- sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses)

- water

- food/snacks

- jacket

Details:

ʻIliahi (Hawaiian sandalwood) is currently fruiting along with ʻaʻaliʻi. These two species will be our focus and target for the month of June. KMR is situated between 2,500-6,000 ft in elevation and with that the weather and environmental conditions vary. Be prepared to bring a jacket or sweater in case of rain or weather changes.