The nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, together with sustainable forestry company HLH LLC, has reforested more than 400,000 native and endemic Hawaiian trees on the islands of Hawaii and Oahu — nearly a third of the organization’s initial goal since planting its first tree in 2010.
HLRI has now added the endemic ‘ohi‘a lehua tree to its Legacy Tree reforestation efforts, which currently include king koa and royal sandalwood on Hawaii Island.
HLRI announced the planting milestone in conjunction with the International Day of Forests on March 21, a global celebration established by the United Nations in 2012 to raise awareness of the critical importance of all forests.
The ‘ohi‘a lehua legacy trees will be available for planting on the Big Island and Oahu.
“The red ‘ohi‘a lehua blossom is the official flower of the island of Hawaii, and it has been prized throughout Hawaiian history,” said HLRI Executive Director Jeff Dunster. “The wood from ‘ohi‘a trees was used in the creation of weapons and tools and is an important part of our native ecosystem.
“The quick-spreading fungal disease known as rapid ‘ohi‘a death has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of these iconic trees on Hawaii Island, and we are working to help reforest and protect them as part of our Legacy Tree program.”
In April 2017, HLRI announced plans to create a 700-acre Legacy Forest on Kahua Ranch in Waimea. The Legacy Forest will include dozens of endemic and native Hawaiian species over a contiguous mix of forest and marshland located on the western slopes of the Kohala Mountains.
The original forest at Kukaiau Ranch along the Hamakua Coast includes endemic koa, ‘ohi‘a, mamane, naio, ko‘oko‘olau, kukaenene and ‘iliahi (Hawaiian sandalwood) trees on almost 1,200 acres of former pastureland, where Legacy Tree planting began in 2010.
Legacy Trees are planted through individual sponsorships. ‘Ohi‘a lehua legacy trees can be sponsored for $90 (which includes a $30 donation to a designated nonprofit organization) via LegacyTrees.org or planted personally through Hawaiian Legacy Tours.