City arborists, Leeward keiki mark Arbor Day with plantings, tree giveaway

By Nathan Serota
November 8, 2024
City News, DPR News

11 Lonomea trees planted today, 28 planted last April at Mā‘ili Community Park

Keiki from Nānāikapono Elementary joined City arborists to plant one of the 11 Lonomea trees at Mā‘ili Community Park

O‘AHU – Beneath the blessing of passing rain, a shady sanctuary will soon be gained. In Mā‘ili’s park for the community, you’ll discover dozens of newly planted trees. With the moving of dirt, the giving of saplings, Leeward keiki did sing “eh, going green is mean!”

The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) was proud to mark the annual Mayor’s Arbor Day Ceremony today by planting 11 Lonomea trees and giving away dozens more at Mā‘ili Community Park. Approximately 40 keiki assisted City arborists and administrators with the plantings, hailing from several Leeward schools including: Leihoku, Nānāikapono, Mākaha Elementary, and Kamaile Public Charter.

During today’s tree giveaway, a mixture of young fruit, lei pua, and native trees were available to participants. There is another opportunity to take home one of these awesome young trees, with a second giveaway planned for Saturday, November 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mā‘ili Community Park. A free reservation is required, as supplies are limited. Please follow this link to sign-up: bit.ly/mailitrees

Even before today’s tree planting and sapling giveaway, DPR began the effort to cool Mā‘ili Community Park in late April with the planting of 28 trees along the park’s border. From July 2023 through June 2024, DPR planted 1,143 trees around the island, and hopes to plant more.

“It’s critically important that we grow and nurture our trees as a community, especially as we combat the impacts of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle and vandalism against our trees and palms,” said Navin Tagore, DPR’s Community Forester who helped organize these events. “Whether it’s the ʻulu in your yard or the trees shading our parks, let us be reminded that growing and preserving our urban forest is a kākou thing. With events like today’s Arbor Day Celebration, we hope to inspire future generations to turn their hands to the soil and plant with us.”

With the planting of these 11 Lonomea trees today, and 28 trees last April, we hope they will provide numerous environmental, economic, and social benefits to our island and community for generations to come! For more information on the many benefits of trees, and all of the efforts of the dedicated arborists within the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation’s Urban Forestry Division, please visit bit.ly/OahuTrees1

While Arbor Day Hawaiʻi is in November, we give appreciation to trees year-round. Anyone planting trees on O‘ahu is encouraged to input that planting information into our tree planting map. Visit bit.ly/100ktreesoahu to provide that information and help us monitor these efforts as we work to increase our tree canopy across the island.

Mahalo to the other partners who joined us for this planting and tree giveaway, and for their continued support of our community forests. They include State Senator-elect Samantha DeCorte, State Representative Darius Kila, Hawai‘i State Urban Forester Heather McMillen, Nānākuli/Mā‘ili Neighborhood Board Vice Chair Naomi Hanohano, Mālama Learning Center, NiuNow, CRB Response, and Kingdom Pathways.

The tree giveaways were funded by a grant from the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and by the Urban & Community Forestry Program of the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Region 5, State and Private Forestry.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.