April 29, 2026

The Kohala Center…..Support Growing Native Forests

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Early one Saturday morning in November, a small but mighty group of community members from Kohala, Waimea, Kawaihae, and beyond gathered on a windy hillside in Kawaihae Uka. Circling around ʻōhiʻa, koaiʻe, ʻāweoweo, and other native tree and shrub species, the group was eager to plant these “hoa makani” (companions of Kohala’s ever-blowing winds) into their new home. People passed buckets of wood chips and mulch hand to hand, while others planted the hoa makani with wishes of long life: I ola ʻoe, i ola mākou nei–may you thrive, so that we can, too. Moved by the moment, Aunty Maile Guss, a resident of Kawaihae Uka, looked down with tears in her eyes and said, “These are not my own hands planting: these are the hands of my kupuna.”

Together, we are feeding our community’s desire to see more native plants used in windbreaks, food forests, silvopasturing, and reforestation. Through our Native Forest Starter Kit Trials, The Kohala Center provides training, native plants, and place-based knowledge to support this growing movement. Healthy native forests ensure clean air, abundant fresh water, and stronger local food systems that are critical to our islands’ food sovereignty.

By donating to TKC, you are supporting the work of ʻāina practitioners feeding Hawaiʻi’s forests, reefs, and families as we grow together. Donate to TKC today in support of Hawaiʻi Island’s native forests and local food systems.

Mahalo nui,
The Kohala Center

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