Initiatives
Kuli‘ou‘ou Ridge Trail Restoration
About the Project
As one of Oʻahu’s most popular and accessible hiking trails, the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail is in urgent need of restoration. The Kuliʻouʻou watershed was once a thriving ecosystem and a place of deep cultural significance. It served as a cherished retreat for Hawaiian royalty, one of the earliest known human settlement sites in Hawaiʻi, and a sanctuary for some of the last intact freshwater springs on the island of Oʻahu.
Decades of overuse, erosion, and the spread of invasive species have severely degraded this land. Aloha Tree Alliance is mobilizing community members, school groups, and businesses to restore this precious watershed.
What We Are Doing
Volunteer Opportunities
A`ohe hua o ka mai`a i ka lā ho’okaāhi
When working together, no task is too big.
-‘Ōlelo No’eau
Aloha Tree Alliance hosts weekly and monthly volunteer events dedicated to restoring the Kuliʻouʻou watershed. We welcome volunteers of all ages—from keiki to kūpuna—to join us in caring for this special place. Read on to learn more about the different ways you can get involved with ATA.
Community Work Days
- Monthly, on third Saturdays from 8:00 - 11:30 AM
- Tree planting occurs from October - May. From June to September, volunteers work on clearing new planting areas and maintaining keiki plants
Aloha Friday Watering
- Every Friday from 8:00-11:00 AM
- Water and pull weeds around keiki native trees and shrubs
- Move gallons of water between restoration sites
Nursery "Seed to Tree" Workday
- "As needed" Saturdays from 8:00 - 11:00 AM
- Sow native plant seeds and cuttings, care for existing seedlings, keep our facility clean and weeded, and connect with a wonderful community of ‘āina stewards
- For more information on upcoming "Seed to Tree" dates, follow our instagram (@alohatreealliance) or email us at nursery@alohatreealliance.org
Educational Opportunities
“If you plan for one year, plant kalo. If you plan for ten years plant koa. If you plan for one hundred years, teach the children.” – Puanani Burgess
Classroom & Site Visits
Aloha Tree Alliance brings youth beyond the classroom and into the forest to mālama i ka ʻāina.
Inspiring the next generation of forest stewards is essential to creating lasting environmental impact. Through hands-on field trips and engaging classroom presentations, students learn proper planting techniques, native forest restoration practices, native plant identification, stewardship values, and place-based knowledge—all essential to protecting the Kuliʻouʻou watershed and Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystems.
Since 2021, Aloha Tree Alliance has partnered with more than 20 schools and youth organizations, including:
- Elementary Schools: Hahaʻione, Hanahauʻoli, Koko Head, Moʻo School
- Middle Schools: Hālau Kū Māna, Hawaii Technology Academy, Kaimukī, Niu Valley, SEEQS
- High Schools: ʻIolani, Kapolei, Henry J. Kaiser, Punahou
- Student-Led Organizations: Green Horizons, Finding Aloha, Punahou Hiking Club, Wipeout Crew
- Community Youth Organizations: Scouting America, BioJam Teens, KUPU Hawaiʻi Youth Conservation Corps
We are deeply grateful to our education partners—including Mālama Maunalua, Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center, Lyon Arboretum, and ATA volunteers—for enriching these experiences through moʻolelo (stories), hands-on science activities, art projects, and the generous sharing of their ʻike and manaʻo with Hawaiʻi’s youth.
Mahalo to The Coconut Traveler and Xylem for supporting ATA’s educational programming from 2023–2026. Their partnership has helped create meaningful opportunities for students to connect with Hawaiʻi’s forests, and we look forward to continuing this work together.
Interested in bringing ATA to your school or organization? Whether you’re planning a field trip, classroom presentation, or community event, we’d love to collaborate. Contact info@alohatreealliance.org to learn more.
High school Internships
The ʻĀina Allies internship program brings together high school students from across Oʻahu who are interested in conservation and land stewardship. This 3.5-month spring semester program deepens participants’ understanding of restoration ecology, reforestation, and native plant species. Interns gain valuable field and career experience alongside Aloha Tree Alliance staff while building meaningful connections with other emerging land stewards.
ʻĀina Allies work together to help ATA implement reforestation techniques aimed at increasing plant survivability within our project sites. These activities include, but are not limited to:
- Developing native species identification skills
- Planting native species and removing invasive species
- Understanding conservation surveying techniques that support survivorship data collection
- Soil sampling
- Project-based work designed to assist ATA’s restoration efforts
These tasks are imperative to the health and vitality of newly planted species, the survival of which will have cascading benefits throughout the entire ahupuaʻa. Most importantly, interns develop meaningful interpersonal relationships with students from different schools across the island while strengthening their conservation-based leadership skills.
Read more about ATA’s ‘Āina Allies Internship program, here!
Native Hawaiian Plant Nursery
Aloha Tree Alliance’s Native Hawaiian Plant Nursery in Kamilo Nui Valley will propagate and supply thousands more native plants for restoration efforts on the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail.
The nursery will stabilize ATA’s supply of native plants while preserving the natural genetic diversity of Kuliʻouʻou. By sourcing seeds and cuttings from existing populations in the Koʻolau Mountains, ATA will help safeguard this unique ecosystem for generations to come.
Mahalo nui to The Garden Club of Honolulu and the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program for providing the funding that made this nursery dream into a reality!
Adopt-a-Kīpuka
A kīpuka is an “island” or area of land that is surrounded by lava flows. The kīpuka restoration method involves clearing invasive species and planting native species within small, isolated patches of land. These “islands” of native plants establish stable relationships and spread naturally over time.
Eventually, the kīpuka connect to form larger, more fire-resilient habitats for important native species.
Send an email to info@alohatreealliance.org if you are interested in donating time or funding to maintain a kīpuka.
Mahalo nui loa to Architects Hawaii LLC and to the Sole Sisters for being ATA’s first adoptees!