Department of Parks and Recreation

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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION​

Ka ʻOihana Mālama Pāka a me nā Hana Hoʻonanea

Department of Parks and Recreation > E Alu Pū Kākou! > Community Forestry

City and County of Honolulu Community Forestry Logo
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Collage of various individuals who have been involved with community forestry with the Division of Urban Forestry or within their own communities.
This round icon is a simple tri-color logo of the E Alu Pū Kākou initiative, which looks like a bird of paradise flower, but instead of purple and orange petals, they resemble people with their arms stretch up to the sky.
This round icon is a simple two-color animation of a tree with two people standing underneath, one an adult and another a child.

For the City and County of Honolulu, the Community Forestry Program aims to bridge the gap between the City and community on maintaining Oʻahu’s urban forest. Our mission is to promote environmental sustainability, community stewardship, and tree education for the public. From our quiet country shorelines to the busy metropolitan areas of urban Honolulu, trees surround us everywhere we go. They are our green infrastructure that provides shade, beauty, and many other social, environmental, and economic benefits!  With proper care and support, Oʻahu’s urban forest will be standing for many generations to come.

Have more questions about how the City manages and plants our trees, please visit DUF’s Website

Community Forestry is focused on community collaborations to promote education and communication with the City and community on the urban forest. There are many opportunities for education, outreach, and building connections between our communities and with us in the City, all to work together on improving our urban forest for the benefit of the future. Oʻahu’s urban forest spans across city, state, federal, and privately owned ʻāina. Within the City and County, DUF plants and maintains trees along public roadways, in City parks, and in our five botanical gardens.

The urban tree canopy is the layer of leaves, branches, stems, and trunks that cover the ground when viewed from above. A handful of the benefits that we enjoy from our urban forests include:

  • Improve air quality
  • Stormwater interception and absorption of runoff
  • Provide shade and cool our neighborhoods
  • Create attractive living spaces
Image showing trees with large shade canopies in a park with houses in the background.

Whether you’re kanaka ōʻiwi (Native Hawaiian), kamaʻāina (local), or malihini (settler/visitor), trees are an important part of our memories, landmarks, and even community identity. Whether it’s the massive fruit of an ʻulu tree, the twisted branches of a particular koa, the shade of a monkeypod, or the beautiful yellow flowers of a gold tree, many residents and visitors alike are tied to Oʻahu’s urban forest.  Community forestry recognizes that it is all of our kuleana to care for and grow the urban forest! 

For more tree-related content follow us on Facebook and Instagram @oahutrees

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