Volunteer at Maunawila Heiau Complex with Ritz Carlton

Maunawila Heiau Complex spans 9 acres in the Hauʻula ahupuaʻa (land division), within the Koʻolauloa moku (district), on the island of O‘ahu. Maunawila heiau complex is a wahi pana, or sacred and storied place, and a wahi kupuna, a place of the ancestors. Maunawila is a heiau ho'ola, a heiau dedicated to healing and medicine.

The property was acquired in 2014 and since then, Hawaiʻi Land Trust has removed significant rubbish and invasive species from the property, installed educational signage, planted native and medicinal plant gardens, worked with archaeologists to document the property’s numerous cultural sites, educated thousands of students, and opened the property to safely welcome community members and volunteers to enjoy and help steward Maunawila.

A volunteer day at Maunawila Heiau Complex starts with an opening circle to introduce yourself to the group and the land before taking a tour of the property where you’ll learn about the history of the land and heiau. Once the tour is finished, you will mālama ʻāina (take care of the land) through invasive species removal, planting native plants, and supporting special projects.