Make a difference, plant a tree!

'Volunteering is the new travel'. This was the message that I got told countless times when I went to the Adventure Travel show in Earls Court at the start of the year. There are many different options for the traveller who wants to show they, y'know, Care. From teaching English in the Sudan, mapping reef in Indonesia to studying turtle hatches on the coast of Costa Rica, there are many schemes being offered.

It seems you can't go travelling these days unless you're willing to get stuck in. But what if you don't have three months to spare to live in a jungle shack? Well here in Hawaii an Forestry organisation cannily called TREE, needed volunteers to go plant 150 trees in celebration of Earth day.

So that's how I found myself fighting off a hangover clambering up a volcanic mountainside in O'oma State Forest, to help plant some Koa trees. About 20 volunteers had turned out early on Saturday morning to help out. We were there to help "reblance the ecosystem" our genial horticulturist Jill Wagner informed us. Koa Trees are native to Hawaii and are fast growing. about 7 - 10 feet in just a couple of years. They were needed to help this section of the forest grow more native species.

Before we could get started though we had a minutes silence 'for the forest' and then Jill read a short poem. Tree Huggers, bless 'em. Once we were in the forest, pick axe at the ready the planting began. I was expecting a jolly little time making easy holes for the trees to go in. What I hadn't realised that this forest is on the slopes of a bloody big Volcano. That means trees needed to find their roots through the volcanic rock. Soon I had a sweat on. This save the planet is harder than it looks! I finally got my first tree in. For some reason I decided to call her "Christine". I hope she has a happy and fruitful life. And the wild goats don't eat her.

We planted 100 Koa trees at 20 foot intervals throughout the forest. We also planted 50 other rare or endangered species to boot. After two hours the group had finished planting. It was a fun thing to do, knowing that long after I've left these islands a product of my visit will still be here (apart from my bar bill).