July marks the end of this year’s planting season, and what a season it has been! Since November 2023, we’ve planted nearly 2,500 native plants in our kīpuka—a significant increase compared to 1,500 plantings in the previous season. Thanks to increased volunteer turnout, steady grant funding, and plentiful rain, we’ve cultivated more native plants than ever. Our collective efforts are transforming our landscape and fostering a thriving environment for future generations. Here’s to growing together and making a lasting impact!
Green Generation: Empowering Youth for Conservation
Inspiring tomorrow’s forest stewards
School’s out for summer – but that doesn’t mean the learning has stopped! We’ve had the pleasure of partnering since June with four different Summer Educational Programs: Haha‘ione School, grade 1; Hanahau‘oli School, grades K-4; Punahou Sustainability and Junior School Sustainability Fellowship Program.
Digging Deep into Soil Science
The Punahou Sustainability Fellowship Program, a 15-month educational experience that incorporates sustainability, leadership and innovation, brought 22 high school interns from across the state to the Kulio‘ou‘ou Ridge Trail to experience how reforestation and sustainability can help to create a healthier, more balanced environment for living organisms. The interns teamed with 11 Junior School (grade 5) Sustainability Fellows to engage in soil testings taken from the trail that determined whether the soil was acidic or alkaline, and what elements might be needed for improved soil health. Guest speaker Megan Gonsalves of the O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council enlightened the audience with interesting facts about soil and its relation to ATA’s reforestation goals. Mahalo nui loa to Megan and the Punahou & Junior School Sustainability Fellows for their interest in ATA’s mission and a fun day on the trail!
A main tenet of ATA’s mission is to share our knowledge about forest systems within our community and instill hope in the next generation of forest stewards. We would not be able to accomplish this goal without the help of our generous supporters. Mahalo nui loa, The Coconut Traveler, for helping make these educational experiences possible!
Kupu Members Help ATA Clear the Way for Native Hawaiian Hardwoods Forest
From July 8th – 12th, 10 Kupu Hawaiʻi Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC) members and two Kupu team leaders joined forces with ATA on the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail to clear a new home for a future Native Hawaiian Hardwoods forest. The HYCC team cleared at least half an acre of Koa Haole, Strawberry Guava, and California grass which will be replaced with native tree species in our next planting season. Decades from now, Hawaiian cultural practitioners will be able to harvest native hardwoods from this kīpuka with a permit from the DLNR!
The enthusiastic team also participated in hands-on lessons connecting conservation, cultural preservation, and resource management, and learned to identify native plants. Keoki Limasa-Viena, Land Steward for the Kupu Nā Manu ʻElele Program, and Chris Cramer, Executive Director of the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center shared their vast knowledge on environmental protection and best practices. After working with these motivated and conservation-minded young adults for one week, the ATA team left feeling hopeful for the future knowing that the bar for stewardship has been set high by the generation that is about to enter the workforce.
Watch their adventure to the summit!
Cheers to Boy Scouts Troop 33 Mānoa!
Huge shoutout to the awesome 50 members and parents of Mānoa Troop 33 who bolstered our June 22 community restoration work day. From digging holes to planting trees, they tackled every task with hard work and smiles. Hats off to Leo Tokumi, a rising senior at Roosevelt High School and soon-to-be Eagle Scout, for working over several months to organize this joint workday effort with ATA and introducing his fellow scouts to the importance of forest conservation.
Summer showers, thriving flowers!
Plants are Nature’s Cooling Systems
Do you ever notice the difference in heat standing in a parking lot compared to standing in a park? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, urbanized areas experience higher temperatures, resulting in “heat islands.” Concrete and asphalt absorb the sun’s heat and hold it longer than green spaces. In cities such as Honolulu, it is important to establish urban forests and keep green spaces thriving to ensure our tropical island doesn’t become a heat island. Volunteering with Aloha Tree Alliance and other planting organizations is one way you can help cool down our island.
Three Ways Plants Keep Us Cool:
use the process of transpiration. Plants absorb water through their roots and cool surroundings by releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves.
reduce energy use by providing shade which lowers surface & air temperatures, therefore decreasing demand for air conditioning.
absorb and filter rainwater, which provides clean water to help us stay hydrated and regulate our body temperature.
Sowing the Seeds for a New Nursery
An adventurous excursion along Kuli‘ouʻou Ridge Trail with Winona Farias, DOFAW’s O‘ahu outreach associate, and ATA staff members Laurie Chang and Eli Livezey resulted in the collection of 15,000 ‘A‘ali‘i seeds!
These seeds will grow into resilient adult plants once propagated at ATA’s new nursery, scheduled to launch this summer. ATA’s native seed collection and nursery project is important for restoration in East Honolulu’s Kuliʻouʻou Valley because the seeds collected are genetically adapted to the unique conditions of the region.
Mahalo to Winona for this wonderful educational experience, which gave us insight on how to better mālama i ka ‘āina. We are also grateful to our nursery sponsors, the Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program and The Garden Club of Honolulu for helping to transform ATA’s dream of creating a nursery into a reality!
Plant of the Quarter: ʻIlima
Uniting for Change
Volunteer of the Quarter: Chanel Yee
Growing Good for Hawaiʻi — One Plant at a Time!
Kuli‘ou‘ou residents John and Sandra Correa have taken their first steps to “go native” in their backyard and are encouraging others to do the same, thanks to Grow Good Hawai‘i, an inspiring initiative that mobilizes residents, businesses, schools and other institutions to grow more native Hawaiian and Polynesian-introduced plants. Led by Paul Arinaga and Hilary Parkinson, co-authors of the book Go Native, this exciting project is bridging backyards and open spaces with remaining natural forests, helping to preserve endangered species, provide habitats for wildlife, and extend wildlife corridors. Interested in joining a movement to restore nature and strengthen food security from mauka to makai? Contact info@growgoodhawaii.org. Together, we can nurture our island’s unique biodiversity and ensure a greener, more interconnected future for generations to come.
Partnerships in Sustainability
Just as the different elements of an ecosystem are interconnected with each other, our community’s various sustainability efforts must be as well. Aloha Tree Alliance operates knowing that collaboration is the foundation of a sustainable future. We are so grateful for all of our partner organizations and their respective missions, commitment to the vitality of our planet, and desire to work as a community.
ATA would like to express sincere appreciation to The Coconut Traveler, Xylem, The Garden Club of Honolulu, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for their financial support. These grantors have enabled ATA to fund its growth in education capacity, restoration progress, and personnel. Furthermore, by expressing their support, these grantors have magnified the reach of ATA’s mission.
Mahalo nui for reading our July Newsletter! We are excited for what the fall will bring, and grateful for our community’s support thus far.
In August, we will not host a Community Workday, but there will be weekly Aloha Friday Watering events as usual. The next Community Workday will take place on Saturday, September 21. We hope to see you there!