From October 18-20 2024, Environmental Law Program (ELP) students and friends visited Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawaiʻi Island, led by Professor and ELP Co-Director Richard Wallsgrove ʻ08. The Refuge is a sanctuary for native and endemic Hawaiian plant and animal species, many of which are threatened or endangered. In the 1980s, the community partnered with the federal government to protect Hawaiʻi Island’s dwindling native forests through the Refuge. Today, the Refuge currently encompasses over 30,000 acres of land. As part of its reforestation program, since 1989, staff and volunteers have planted over 400,000 koa, ‘ōhi‘a, and other native plants. 

We made our first stop at the locally-owned supermarket, KTA! The group split into smaller teams to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner ingredients for 15 people over three days. After some serious logistical analysis, we loaded up an entire trunk with groceries and were on our way!

Korynn Grenert ʻ26, Nathan Kilali ʻ25, and Joseph Work ʻ25 pose with the trunk full of food for the weekend.

Our next stop was a short hike up Puʻu Huluhulu across from the base of the Mauna Kea Access Road! Puʻu Huluhulu is a 38 acre kīpuka (vegetated refuge surrounded by lava flows) in the Saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The trail system was established in the 1970s by the Youth Conservation Project. This hike had gave picturesque views of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, with Pōhakuloa peeking out between the two mountains. Although the natural landscape of Puʻu Huluhulu was damaged by introduction of invasive species and cinder mining in the 1940s, native plants such as naio and ʻōhia are still able to grow.

The group traverses Puʻu Huluhulu with a view of Mauna Kea in the background.

After finishing the hike, we began our ascent of Mauna Kea via car. To reach the Refuge, we had a grueling hour-and-a-half drive. Just before reaching the Mauna Kea Visitor Center, we turned right onto a gravel road, which quickly turned to dirt, and demanded the vehicles shift into four-wheel drive. On our way up, we passed entire cinder cones covered in gorse, which is an invasive and extremely spiky plant that was originally introduced as food for ungulates like cattle and goats. 

Gorse has infested large areas of the Hakalau Forest Refuge. 

When we arrived at Hakalau, we noticed an extremely heavy-duty fence surrounding the entire enclosure to keep out pigs, cattle, goats, sheep, and any other animals that destroy native forests and eat native species. Rat and mongoose traps were also located inside the refuge. There was a stark difference between the reforested native biodiversity present within the fence and the gorse-infested non-native grasslands outside the fence.

After dropping our bags off at the campsite, Hakalau’s Visitor Services Manager (and incredibly knowledgeable guide) Leah Messer brought us to the historical Pua Akala Cabin. This cabin is made entirely of koa wood and once served as an overnight cabin for the well-known Hitchcock missionary family in the late 1800s and 1900s. The cabin was later acquired by the Shipman family, another prominent missionary family in old Hawaiʻi. The cabin now serves as a historical landmark in Hakalau and a place for educating visitors on the history of the land.

Leah explains the historical significance of the cabin to our group.

A beautiful sunset backdrops the drive back to home base.

As the temperature dropped and the light waned, we returned to the USFWS home base and began preparing dinner as a team. As for our yellow curry dinner, the words “it takes a village” have never rung truer! With Jacqueline Lasky ʻ26 as our master chef of the evening, the rest of us washed, chopped, and cleaned like no one’s ever seen. The food was absolutely delicious!

It was all hands on deck for this delicious yellow curry dinner. 

That evening, the full moon rising over the clouds was so bright, it could have easily been confused with a sunrise.

The next morning, everyone got right back to work in the kitchen preparing our breakfast and our sandwiches for lunch on the road. We did not want empty stomachs for the day’s adventure!

Campers of all ages help prepare breakfast and lunch for the second day.

The drive to the cabin through a tunnel of koa trees.

For our service learning, we cleared invasive plants like grass and tulips at Pua Akala Cabin. This included weed whacking, pulling weeds, and piling up the excess materials. 

ELP students gear up for the work of the day. From left to right: Joseph Work ʻ25, Malia Taylor-Wolfe ʻ25, Amira Elsawi ʻ25, Korynn Grenert ʻ26, Nathan Kilali ʻ25, and Sophie Tidler ʻ25.

After a few hours of hard work, the front of the cabin looked completely different. 

We followed up our service work with some bird-watching. Numerous native birds call Hakalau home, including nēnē (Hawaiian goose) and numerous species of Hawaiian honeycreepers such as ʻakiapōlāʻau and ʻalawī. These birds are threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). After doing some bird-watching, the fog began to roll in, and we made our way past a field full of nēnē on our way back to home base. 

The group is eager to spot native birds with Leah’s help.

Nēnē (Hawaiian geese) congregate under the fog.

The fog was a bit less intense at the lower-elevation main base area, making for another gorgeous sunset over the clouds. 

That night, we did some incredible star-gazing. We saw the Milky Way, numerous shooting stars, a few satellites, and the Tsuchinshan Comet! Viewing the Tsuchinshan Comet is considered an “once-in-a-lifetime” event, as it won’t be visible for another estimated 80,000 years. We were extremely lucky to see it in such pristine conditions!

An inspiring view of the Milky Way.

The sunrise the next morning was gorgeous and left Mauna Kea glowing red. 

For the final day, Leah took us on a beautiful hike through ancient forests and we saw many threatened and endangered bird species including the ʻakepa, ‘i‘iwi, ʻio, and ʻapapane. 

We also hiked to one of the older, largest ‘ōhi‘a trees known to mankind. Leah estimated the tree to be up to a thousand years old! The group pondered why this particular ʻōhiʻa tree had been left standing when most of the ʻōhiʻa forest had been cleared decades earlier by ranchers. 

Joseph Work ʻ25 found this part of the trip particularly memorable: “Seeing a 1,000-year-old tree was humbling—a powerful reminder of the history and resilience within these ecosystems. This experience deepened my appreciation for conservation and showed how the laws we study shape and protect the natural world. It was more than a field trip; it was a moment of inspiration I’ll carry with me.”

Malia Taylor-Wolfe ʻ25 poses in front of the thousand-year-old ʻōhiʻa tree.

On our way out of the refuge, we stopped at the Mauna Kea Visitors Center. We also did a short hike nearby to see the endangered silversword plant, known as ʻāhinahina.

A close up of ʻāhinahina.

Our final adventure near the Mauna Kea Visitor Center.

Reflecting on the experience, Nathan Kilali shared, “I would highly recommend this experience to any student passionate about nature, conservation, or environmental law. Hakalau offers a rare opportunity to witness the practical application of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to see how conservation initiatives can restore biodiversity and habitats that were once on the brink of collapse. Students will gain a deeper appreciation for endangered species, such as the Nene bird and other species protected under the ESA and International Union for Conservation of Nature, while also learning about the ecological importance of native plants and the devastating effects of invasive species.

For students from the Pacific Islands, this trip serves as a reminder of the rich biodiversity in their own homelands and may inspire them to take active roles in conservation efforts. The experience demonstrates how human action—whether destructive or restorative—can profoundly affect the environment over time. It’s an eye-opening journey that combines science, cultural awareness, and the beauty of Hawaiʻi’s unique ecosystems, leaving participants with a renewed sense of purpose to protect the environment around us.”

Amira Elsawi ʻ25 expressed a similar sentiment: “Hakalau was an incredible experience that I would recommend to everyone. I’m so grateful to Professor Wallsgrove and the rest of ELP for making this trip happen, and to Leah at Hakalau for making this trip so special. I learned so much about the ecosystems and geography of Hawaiʻi Island as well as some of the restoration efforts happening right on Mauna Kea. My favorite part was making friends with other students whom I wouldnʻt have gotten to know otherwise, all while volunteering right on Mauna Kea. This trip truly put into perspective ‘Mauka to Makai’ (from mountain to ocean) as I learned that the sail-shaped leaves of the Koa tree at Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge all the way up on Mauna Kea are vital for healthy watersheds and coral reef and marine life.”

All in all, this was a fantastic weekend trip of learning, enjoying nature, and hands-on volunteer work at Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge! Experiences like these remind us students why we wanted to practice Environmental Law in the first place and expose us to new knowledge, different ways of helping the environment, and current and future environmental issues that need legal assistance and advocacy. Thank you, Professor Wallsgrove and Leah Messer, for this incredible experience!

KG & MTW