Why we take donations (and what we do with them)

This blog was set up as part of an effort to raise funds for research on the groundwater system of Kaho'olawe. Right now we're trying to raise $12,575 to cover expenses for seven people (three professors and four graduate student researchers) to conduct ten days of field work on Kaho'olawe. The money will be used to pay for plane tickets ($5600), equipment shipping costs ($4000) access fees ($875) and expenses while on Maui in transit to and from the mainland ($2100).

Others have already contributed. The Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) has agreed to feed and house us on Kaho'olawe, provide us with on-island transportation and escorts, and move us and our hundreds (thousands?) of pounds of equipment between Kaho'olawe and Maui. This contribution represents several thousands of dollars of man-hours, food, fuel, and infrastructure.

Drs. Lee Slater and Kristina Keating, along with three graduate students from Rutgers University's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in Newark, have agreed to volunteer their time, expertise, and very heavy but nonetheless expensive and effective subsurface sensing equipment.

Dr. Jeffrey McKenzie and Rob Carver (me), both of McGill University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Montreal, Canada, are also doing this on a volunteer basis. I dragged Jeff into this as part of my Master's project. I am paid through an NSERC Julie Payette Master's research scholarship, and used some of these funds to cover expenses on a previous trip to Kaho'olawe. Jeff similarly paid out-of-pocket expenses to accompany me on that trip to lend me some moral and intellectual support (and credibility). The department provides us with laboratory space, equipment, computers, and software. We also bring tens of thousands of dollars of serious equipment to the table, such as a fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing system and an infrared camera.


We have applied to the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) for funding and are optimistic about our chances of success, but typical CUAHSI grants are about $3000, leaving us at least $9,575 short, provided our application is successful. We all expect to put a bit more money into the pot ourselves, but we can certainly use a bit of help.

Please donate (even a small amount) and help bring this world-class group of scientists to Kaho'olawe. All funds raised through this effort will go towards this project. If we exceed our goal, the remaining funds will be dedicated to further water research on Kaho'olawe. Thank you for helping to heal the wounded island!

Wondering what this is all about? Please check out the Healing the Wounded Island project description.