Maui residents and visitors have a unique chance to help the environment this week. It's part of an effort to preserve 100,000 acres of native forest.

For 20 years, the East Maui Watershed Partnership has been working to preserve the native forest it says is critical to providing clean water for the island.

This week the group that includes big government partners and land owners is inviting new partners in to help communicate its message.

Artists will be invited to hike deep into the native forest to sit, sketch and watch.

That’s the partnership’s Allison Wiest. She will lead a three-mile hike tomorrow through The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve.

It’s one of four hikes meant to inspire people to create art about Maui’s native species.

It’s all leading up to the partnership’s annual juried art exhibit and sale at Viewpoints Gallery.

Entries are due in November.

(Aileen Humphreys / HPR News)

MORE INFORMATION:

East Maui Watershed Partnership