Program participants headed back to their respective islands after the Environmental Fair, and started working at local conservation sites in their communities.

Over the remaining six weeks of Kupu’s Hawai’i Youth Conservation Corps Summer program, participants will hike and sometimes camp at remote locations like rainforests, coastal areas, loko i’a (fishponds) or lo’i (taro fields), like Waikamoi Preserve and Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge.

Each participant will dedicate up to 300 service hours this summer, removing invasive species, restoring native ecosystems and improving trails, while learning about endangered and invasive species, cultural protocol and background for each conservation and historic site.

Upon completing the program, participants will also receive monetary education and service awards to use for higher education.

For more information about the program and other free conservation programs on Maui, visit www.kupuhawaii.org/programs/.