FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods Plants 200,000 Indigenous Koa Trees

     HLH owes the success of this project to many great organizations including one of its first cornerstone partnerships Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. "We're truly honored to be a long-term partner of Hawaiian Legacy Hardwood's efforts in reforesting our island with native koa trees," said Robert Whitfield, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. "This impressive milestone is one of many that will be achieved, each bringing more life and sustainability to this magnificent place we call home."

     HLH also recognizes the USDA, Farm Service Agency and NRCS, for their expertise and assistance which have been invaluable to this project's success as well. "Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods has been an excellent participant in the Hawaii Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) demonstrating how private landowners are instrumental in providing public services while restoring a native ecosystem. These public services include reducing sediment and nutrient runoff into streams, increasing groundwater recharge, and controlling invasive species", said Elizabeth Boxler, Hawaii CREP Coordinator, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, DLNR.

     The most remarkable impact however, has come from individual tree sponsors." The simple act of sponsoring a Legacy Tree, by countless individuals, has literally moved a mountain. Each tree has a story to tell. Each one was planted and sponsored as a living legacy to honor an individual, memorialize a loved one or to commemorate an event.  This forest really belongs to them", Dunster said.

     One more reason to feel good about this forest-more than one third of all Legacy Tree proceeds goes to charity. The HLH Legacy Tree program currently supports more than 200 charities worldwide--planting roots in the forest while planting roots in the community.  Learn more about sponsoring your own legacy tree:ww.legacytree.

 Watch A Tree Planting 

   HLH is located 34 miles north of Hilo, above historic Umikoa Village on the slopes of Mauna Kea. This planting site was once a magnificent koa forest and the personal property of King Kamehameha The Great, the first king of Hawaii. This old growth koa forest was almost lost to a century of clear-cut harvesting and cattle grazing, but with the help of caring individuals is making a comeback.  * www.legacytrees.org    * www.hawaiianlegacyhardwoods.com

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             From The Field          

Darrell Fox, COO        

     Now is the time of year when we focus on the mapping of newly planted tree units and Legacy Trees. We have a field crew that is specifically dedicated to this task. It is a painstaking process, but one that insures the integrity of everything we do.

Sunset on Hawaii Island  May 9, 2013 

photo  courtesy of Richard Lindberg 

     In addition to our semi-annual invasive species removal from all of our existing reforested areas, we will also begin to prepare new lands for the upcoming planting season. The first step is the removal of all invasive species. Non-native plants can compete with native species and are often more successful at spreading to new locations.  As a result, before we do anything else in a new planting site we clear out all of the invasive trees that will be inside our new fence line.  Some of these tree seeds are spread by cattle, pigs and other ungulates.  The fencing will prevent these from being reintroduced.  Some are spread by the birds.  Most notable of that class is the faya tree (Myrica faya).  It was originally introduced by immigrants to Hawaii who used the little berries to make wine.  The trees often grow in dense stands that can shade out any other plant.  Even when they are removed they can re-sprout or grow from seeds left behind.  It takes years of returning to the site and "weeding" out the new growth.

     This year we are using the summer to work on different projects.  Many of our tree sponsors and tree owners have visited their trees over the years.  We are working on improving the experience.  A lot of thought has gone in to what can be done to enhance their sense of being part of the process.  We have found that in the case of the Legacy Tree sponsorship program many people want the experience of planting their own tree.  This comes with many logistical challenges.  We are now stocking our nursery with trees in larger pots.  This gives trees planted in the drier months the vigor they need to survive and thrive.  It also increases the sense of pride that people feel in planting a tree.  We are also improving our field roads and vehicle mix to allow visitors access to a wider variety of planting sites.  All of these trees are RFID tagged and GPS located so that in the years to come people can look at the site on Google Earth and think back to the day they planted their tree.

dfox@hawaiianlegacyhardwoods.com