From the Nursery to the Neighborhood: Celebrate Arbor Day with Aloha Tree Alliance

Arbor Day is an opportunity to recognize the essential role trees play in sustaining healthy communities and ecosystems. Trees provide habitat for wildlife, stabilize soil, protect watersheds, cool our neighborhoods, capture carbon, and strengthen our resilience to a changing climate. In Hawaiʻi, celebrating Arbor Day also invites us to deepen our relationship with the unique native plants that define our islands and to renew our shared responsibility to care for the ʻāina.

Unlike National Arbor Day, which is observed across much of the continental United States in April, Hawaiʻi celebrates Arbor Day on the first Friday of November. The timing reflects the rhythms of our islands: November marks the beginning of Hawaiʻi’s rainy season, when increased rainfall and cooler temperatures give newly planted trees the natural hydration and favorable conditions they need to establish strong roots and thrive.

This year, Aloha Tree Alliance invites our community to explore the journey of a native plant—from seed collection and nursery care to planting and long-term stewardship—through our Arbor Day campaign, From the Nursery to the Neighborhood. Featuring a community-wide art competition and two November events, the programs bring together native plant education, community art, cultural programming, plant distribution, and hands-on forest restoration. These activities offer people of all ages meaningful ways to learn, participate, and build lasting relationships with Hawaiʻi’s native plants.

The campaign is presented in partnership with Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program.

Native Plant Art Challenge: Celebrating Plants and Place

Arbor Day with Aloha Tree Alliance begins with a closer look… and an invitation to create.

Throughout September, artists of all ages are invited to submit original artwork inspired by four Native Hawaiian plants: ʻilima, ʻōhiʻa, wiliwili, and ʻaʻaliʻi. Each has a meaningful connection to our restoration work in Kuliʻouʻou and contributes to the landscapes, stories, and sense of place that make Hawaiʻi unique.

Using drawing, painting, or digital art, participants are encouraged to show these plants as part of a larger living community: where they grow, the birds and insects they support, the roles they play in our forests, or how they might shape Hawaiʻi’s future.

The winning design will be featured on a commemorative Arbor Day tote bag, with the second, third place and keiki creative designs will be featured on commemorative stickers. Together, the selected works will carry the spirit of Arbor Day beyond November and celebrate our community’s creative connection to Hawaiʻi’s native forests.

Submission Window: August 18th–September 18th, 2026
Who may enter: All ages
Submission details:

Nursery Open House: Saturday, November 7

For the first time, ATA will welcome the broader community to our Native Hawaiian Plant Nursery in Kamilonui Valley for a family-friendly Arbor Day open house.

The nursery is where much of ATA’s restoration work begins. Seeds collected with care are propagated and nurtured until the plants are ready to support restoration at Kuliʻouʻou and other community sites. The open house will give guests a closer look at this “seed to tree” journey and offer a behind the scenes view of nursery work in action!

Planned activities include:

  • Native plant propagation and potting demonstrations

  • Guidance on selecting, planting, watering, and caring for native plants

  • Cultural storytelling, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and music connected to plants and place

  • Stamp art, leaf printing, coloring, and activities for keiki

  • Educational booths featuring community partners

  • A free native plant giveaway with species-specific care information

  • SWAG giveaways featuring art compeition winners

ATA plans to distribute native plants for home and community spaces as part of the campaign. Each recipient will receive a care card with planting and watering guidance, maintenance recommendations, cultural information, and a link to additional stewardship resources. A short learning activity will help participants choose an appropriate plant and feel prepared to care for it over time.

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Aloha Tree Alliance Native Hawaiian Plant Nursery, Kamilonui Valley
Registration: RSVP Link to become availalbe in October—check back with us or follow our Instagram (@alohatreealliance) for updates!

Arbor Day Community Workday at Kuli‘ou‘ou Ridge Trail: Saturday, November 14

The celebration continues at ATA’s Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail restoration site, where volunteers will help plant more than 300 native plants across restoration kīpuka managed by ATA.

Kuliʻouʻou is one of Oʻahu’s most heavily visited trails and an important part of the larger Maunalua watershed. Restoring native vegetation along the trail helps stabilize soil, reduce erosion, improve water infiltration, expand habitat, and strengthen the resilience of the forest from mauka to makai.

During the workday, ATA staff and experienced volunteers will guide participants through site preparation, proper planting, and initial watering. The work does not end when a plant enters the ground: ATA will continue watering and monitoring the new plantings during their establishment period, replacing plants when needed and inviting volunteers back to mālama the growing forest through future community workdays.

Participants of all experience levels are welcome. Whether this is your first workday or you have planted alongside us for years, your effort will contribute directly to the long-term care of Kuliʻouʻou.

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Time: 8:00–11:30 a.m.
Location: Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail restoration site
Registration: ATA Registration Link

Growing Stewardship Beyond Arbor Day

From an artist studying the form of a wiliwili blossom, to a family learning how to care for an ʻaʻaliʻi at home, to a volunteer planting at Kuliʻouʻou, every part of this campaign reflects the same idea: healthy forests grow through sustained relationships between people, plants, and place.

By the end of November, ATA aims to distribute more than 100 native plants and engage volunteers in planting more than 300 additional plants at Kuliʻouʻou. Just as importantly, we hope participants leave with the knowledge, confidence, and sense of connection needed to continue caring for Hawaiʻi’s urban and watershed forests throughout the year.

Save the dates, share the art competition with a creative friend, and join us this November as we bring Arbor Day from the nursery to the neighborhood.

To receive event updates and registration announcements, follow Aloha Tree Alliance on social media (@alohatreealliance) or subscribe to our newsletter for event updates in September.