Requirements to Participate on a Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana Huaka‘i to Kahoʻolawe

  • Completed forms (KIRC Volunteer Packet and ‘Ohana Registration and Liability Form) and payment of huaka‘i costs must be submitted by required deadline
  • Participants must attend a Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana orientation prior to scheduled access
  • Participants must know how to swim and be comfortable in the ocean
  • Most importantly, participants must feel mentally, spiritually, and physically ready to experience Kanaloa-Kaho‘olawe

Forms and Payment

Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana Safety Orientation

Access begins at orientation. All participants must attend an orientation and safety briefing in order to be granted access to Kaho‘olawe. This measure helps to ensure the safety of participants, introduces participants to the Kua (backbone, refers to those who are willing to bend their backs in hard work to ensure safe and successful accesses. Kua are facilitators of PKO accesses to Kaho‘olawe) and Access Guides (trained and certified by the KIRC), discusses Kaho‘olawe as a wahi pana and pu‘uhonua, sets expectations, confirms participantsʻ understanding that the appearance of Kaho‘olawe is rugged, the ecosystem is fragile and we aim at keeping human impact to a minimum.

  • Topics covered at orientation:
    1. PKO Background and history
    2. Logistics
    3. Safety
    4. Sanctions
    5. KIRC Volunteer Forms
    6. Access Fees
    7. Basic Island Rules
    8. ‘Ukana
    9. First Aid
    10. Medical Emergency Notification
    11. Cultural Protocols
    12. Natural and Cultural Resource Protection
    13. Access Schedule and Logistics

Bio-Security

We ask that huakaʻi participants follow the guidelines outlined on the attached poster to kōkua with bio-security to aid in preventing pesky and invasive weeds from establishing on Kahoʻolawe.

E Makaʻala Kākou! Kahoʻolawe Bio-Security (Click to download PDF)

Help to keep Kahoʻolawe Khaki Weed Free! (Click to download PDF)

*Requirement for Attestation of COVID-19 Vaccination Status

In accordance with Governor David Ige's Executive Order 21-07, all contractors, visitors, and employees that are providing service at any State of Hawaiʻi facility must attest to his/her/their COVID-19 Vaccination Status. 
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Section 1.c.ii defines Contractor or Contract Employee to include volunteers. The KIRC received confirmation from DHRD that volunteers receive the same protections as State employee (pursuant Chapter 662 HRS) and therefore should be treated as employees for the purpose of the Governor’s vaccination/testing policy. The most recent Governor’s Executive Order clarifies this requirement.
 
The KIRC will be adopting the following procedures in order to implement this proclamation:
  1. In addition to the current KIRC set of waivers, volunteer service agreement and emergency medical forms, the KIRC will be requiring the completion of the “Attachment A: COVID -19: Vaccination Status Attestation” to be submitted along with other KIRC required documentation.  For those that have already submitted their KIRC forms for previous accesses, we will be requiring this Attachment A also be completed.
  2. For those that indicate on Attachment A that they are either not yet fully vaccinated or have not been vaccinated, they will be required to submit the additional Attachment B.
  3. We will also be requiring any contractor that enters KIRC facility for more than 10 minutes to also complete these forms.
 
In accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order, this will be effective September 13, 2021.

The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana is also implementing further policies to ensure the safety and well-being of all huakaʻi participants.
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