Waimea Valley Participates in ReTree Hawaii

Throughout the month of November 2021 ReTree Hawaii organized an annual tree planting event in the State of Hawaii. Some organizations would plant only one time, others had multiple planting events. At Waimea Valley, Hi‘ipaka conservation staff were joined by 19 Hānai ʻĀina community volunteers on 11/18 and 11/20 planting 146 native plants over the two days on a one acre site in the Kalahe‘e Forest management unit. Why do we do this work? Restoration of native ecosystems, watershed protection, and atmospheric carbon capture are all important stewardship activities that support the mission of Hiʻipaka, to preserve and perpetuate the human, cultural, and environmental resources of Waimea Valley for generations through education and stewardship.

Native Hawaiian ecosystems are under threat from invasive species and disease. Our native reforestation efforts take place inside fenced acreage to exclude pigs. The native trees, shrubs, and understory plants are grouped together in environmentally damaged landscapes where years of neglect and misuse have resulted in degraded soils and habitats. Establishing native plant communities allows for the repair of soils and the return of healthy watershed function. As rainfall infiltrates healthy soils and root systems it continues down to replenish ground water and the potable aquifer on Oahu. This carbon rich soil supports native plant recruitment from seed and results in a resilient and sustainable plant community.

You can participate by contacting volunteers@ waimeavalley.net or calling our volunteer coordinator Melani Spielman at 638-5855. We also are offering a way to donate conservation trees to Waimea through our website waimeavalley.net or contact us at 638-5884 to donate. You can reduce your carbon foot print by planting trees and supporting our conservation efforts. We will take part in future tree planting initiatives with the City, State, ReTree Hawaii and other conservation partners. And we will continue to propagate and out-plant native Hawaiian plant species in Waimea through our conservation projects and through insitu plant conservation in the Waimea botanical gardens.