The holidays are about more than material gifts. They’re about giving back and showing appreciation for all that surrounds us, including the environment. International Volunteer Day is celebrated each year on December 5 to inspire everyone to get involved in their communities. Through volunteering, people become part of the solution to issues like climate change, storm water pollution, and environmental degradation.
Storm Water Hawaiʻi celebrates volunteers all year, including those who support our Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) program. AAH is a public service program that invites organizations to pick up litter along Hawaiʻi’s state highways. It gives environmentally conscious residents a way to contribute to a cleaner Hawaiʻi. In addition to a cleaner roadside, volunteers help stop pollutants from entering our storm drains, streams, and ocean.
Interested in adopting a highway? Email Adopt-A-Highway@stormwaterhawaii.com. The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation will help you select a highway section. Your team sets the cleanup schedule and arranges trash pickup dates with the local highways district office. HDOT provides high-visibility safety vests, trash bags, gloves, and safety information. It also removes the filled bags from the roadside along with other heavy or hazardous items, and installs a highway sign to recognize your group’s cleaning efforts.
Celebrate the season of giving by exploring ways you can help our community this International Volunteer Day and throughout 2026. Learn more about Adopt-A-Highway at www.stormwaterhawaii.com/adopt-a-highway/.