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As tourists start slowly returning to Hawaii, the state is encouraging visitors to rethink their stay through the Mālama Hawai'i program, designed to give travelers a more meaningful connection to the islands by offering them the chance to volunteer during their stay.

Mālama means "to care for" so the program translates to "caring for Hawaii." The program brings together resorts and charitable causes to offer guests a chance to give back to the island with activities ranging from replanting forests to helping with coral reef restoration.

As a bonus for giving back to the islands, some of the resorts are offering to add in a free night's stay to those who participate.

Regardless of volunteering, all out-ot-state visitors are required to follow the state's COVID-19 restrictions. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hawaii has a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving on the islands. In October, it launched a program to allow visitors to bypass that quarantine by providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before departure.

“Our goal is to attract mindful visitors who will leave Hawai‘i better than when they arrived. By doing so, visitors will experience a deeper connection and a vacation that really becomes more meaningful to them," John Monahan, Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau president and CEO, said in a release about the new program.

Where can people volunteer?

The Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach is one of the hotels participating in the program.

"This is one way to help them travel to Hawaii with a purpose and walk away with a meaningful moment, and a long-lasting understanding of what it means — what Mālama means—to 'take care'," said Cheryl Williams, regional vice president of sales and marketing for the resort's owner Highgate.

Alohilani is offering several packages visitors can choose from to give back to the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative. For instance, the Soulful Hawaii package includes a free night's stay when you stay five nights, an ocean cultural blessing and a North Shore tree planting experience as well as one-day luxury car rental.

"Usually people come to Hawaii and they take home memento," said Jeff Dunster, executive director for the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative. "Perhaps, you know, the coolest memento that you take from Hawaii is actually the one you leave behind."

Dunster cofounded the organization to help stop deforestation in the islands, something he said is perpetuated by the high price of land and the value of the wood harvested from the forests.

As cofounder of the organization, he's watched as those volunteering have made a difference in bringing back forests on the islands.

"What's amazing about this forest is how fast it came back. I mean, everybody thinks like, oh, you know, you plant a cute little seedling. It's 6 inches tall, you know, and 100 years from now, it's going to look like a forest," Dunster said.

He said it's actually much quicker than that. Trees they planted less than 10 years ago are already grown, and endangered hawks have returned to the area that had been pasture land for more than a century.

"It came back so fast. It's so beautiful. It really is spectacular," he said.

Dunster said when people leave the island, they can continue to track the growth of their tree at https://legacyforest.org.

"It really offers our travelers the opportunity to connect themselves, with their families but also connect them with the people of Hawaii," Williams said.

How to participate in the program

To participate in the ongoing program, you'll need to go to the Mālama website at https://www.gohawaii.com/malama.

Browse through the list of participating resorts and find one with an experience and package offer you like. Each resort has its own terms, so make sure you understand those before booking.

You can connect with Arizona Republic consumer travel reporter Melissa Yeager through email at melissa.yeager@azcentral.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Source: azcentral.