Submitted by Alyssa Stagnitti on the 2022 winter session program in Hawaii sponsored by the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration…
One of our excursions from our second week here on Maui was one of my favorite so far. We went to work with the Kipuka Olowalu Service Project, which was started by a man named Ekolu Lindsey, who we had met previously. This nonprofit organization brings in groups of tourists and locals who are willing to help with their mission to preserve Hawaiian land. We pulled weeds, and dug a hole for a bed that will be used to plant native plants when it is finished. We learned about the native and invasive plant species in the area, and about the importance of the natural gardening and farming methods they use. For example, they do not use any pesticides to spray invasive weeds, but rather take the time to pull them all by hand. This is because pesticides and harmful chemicals can also harm other plants, or can end up in water streams, until they reach the ocean. It felt great to work on this project with my classmates who motivated each other in the hot sun. The land that belongs to the members of this service project is in its beginning stages of development, and they have signed a lease for the next one hundred years under the condition that they will continue to work to preserve the land. Ekolu seemed extremely appreciative of our work, and reminded us that we were just as much of a help to him as he was to us. This was an amazing experience, because it is not something I ever would have gotten the opportunity to do if I had visited Maui on a family vacation rather than on this specific program. It also felt great to know we were able to do something to give back to the community that has been so kind to us, despite all the potential problems tourism can have on this island. If any of my friends ever visit Maui in the future, I’ll definitely recommend that they look into spending a day volunteering on the farm.
On Saturday, January 15, we had a free day, so our entire group of twenty-three decided to do the Road to Hana. The Road to Hana is a windy highway that goes up the side of the island to the town of Hana, with lots of hikes, waterfalls, and other sites to stop at along the way. This is a bucket list item for most people who visit Maui because there are many sites to explore, and because the road itself is unlike anything we are used to on the East Coast. It is full of tight turns around the sides of the mountain, and one lane bridges, and can be scary at some points. Our day started out on an interesting note when we realized an hour into our drive that we were going the wrong way. There were two routes to our first destination; one around the North side of the island, and one around the South side. The South side was where we were headed, but this route was even more unsafe than the original “road to Hana” with its twists and turns. Despite the fact that we had woken up at 5:00 am, and going to the North side would be a three hour detour, we decided to turn around and go that way. We did not want to push our luck, and be “those tourists” who get hurt or worse, because they did not do enough research.
After our three hour detour, we were in for another surprise when the first hike of our itinerary ended up being closed because of road construction. It was easy to see that some people were stressed and disappointed at this point, but we had to remind ourselves that our mindsets were going to determine how the rest of the day went. Being in good spirits, and making the best out of the situation really did turn our day around. We kept reminding ourselves how lucky we were to even be on Maui, and that the day was not over yet. We found another beautiful hike to explore, followed by an underground lava cave attraction, and then finished the day by visiting the black sand beach at Waiʻānapanapa State Park. We made sure to leave our last destination early enough so that we would be on the safer part of the drive by sunset. By the time we got home, it had been a fourteen hour day, and everyone in my car was exhausted. Our day had started off with some stress, but we pulled through and made the best of it. The cliché about The Road to Hana is that “it’s about the journey, not the destination”, and I think we really experienced this firsthand. Throughout all of the stress and confusion of planning our next move, we bonded with one another, and created memories that will last a lifetime.
