Conservation and restoration of the Waimea Valley is the mission of the nonprofit Hi’ipaka LLC. The group sponsors volunteer cleanups that take hikers to the Kalahe’e Ridge in order to plant native species and remove invasive ones as part of an ongoing conservation effort to restore the native forest land. On Saturday, the group participated in the Hanai Aina Conservation Workday: Invasive Species Removal.

Hi’ipaka was created to nurture and care for Waimea Valley after it was purchased by a partnership between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the City and County of Honolulu, the Hawaii Department of Land Natural Resources, the Trust for Public Land and the U.S. Army. Hi’ipaka is looking for extra hands to help keep the project going.