Fleming Arboretum http://www.flemingarboretum.org/
Hired in 2003 by The Friends of the D. T. Fleming Arboretum (FOFA) with a grant funded by the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation to evaluate and prune more than 54 mature native Hawaiian trees in the arboretum collection located in Ulupalakua. Another grant in 2004, funded by the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation towards "Project Plant" which involved out planting of new species into the arboretum, making it a more complete collection of species from the Auwahi Forest. Especially exciting is that I had the honor of the planting of 2 Alani, Melicope knudsenii seedlings. This is the first successful propagation and outplanting of this seedling from the last viable tree in existence.
Photo: Posing next to a Lama, Diospyros sandwicensis, one of the vintage native trees that I had the responsibility of pruning.
Malama i ka 'Aina award
Being presented with the 2004 Malama i ka 'Aina award at the Lawn and Garden Fair held at the Maui Tropical Plantation. Sponsored by the Maui Invasive Species Committee, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals and Maui County in recognition of landscapers, plant providers (retail and wholesale nurseries and garden shops), or commercial/agricultural properties for efforts to keep invasive species out of Maui County.
Photo: Left to right, Rob Parsons, Mayor Alan Arakawa's executive assistant for environmental concerns, Arlene Taus Salomon, Teya Penniman, manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee.
The Maui Nui Botanical Gardens http://www.mnbg.org/
A Botanical gardens in central Maui which emphasizes the native plants of Maui Nui (Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe). I enjoyed my time there as a staff member coordinating volunteer activities and designing and outplanting some of the garden displays.
The Dryforest At Auwahi http://www.hear.org/naturalareas/auwahi/index.html
"If you know your trees at Auwahi, you know your trees of Hawaii"
The Auwahi district on Haleakala is noted as one of the richest botanical regions in the Territory, with more tree species than any Hawaiian rain forest.
I was a regular volunteer from 2001-2005 with The Auwahi Restoration Group, a coalition of private and public agencies and a group of concerned community citizens working together in a historic effort to try and save a remnant Hawaiian forest by planting and weeding exclosures in order to "jumpstart" this unique ecosystem.
Kauila a rare and endemic native Hawaiian tree species renowned by Hawaiians for its iron-hard wood and as a symbol of strength.
A'ali'i indigenous Hawaiian tree species, luminous in the smoky glow of cloud cover at Auwahi, being overtaken by lichen.
A concerned community citizen collects a'ali'i seeds to germinate and outplant the seedlings back into the forest at Auwahi.
Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission http://kahoolawe.hawaii.gov/home.php
The Island of Kaho`olawe, target of U.S. Navy bombing until the late 1980s, has been undergoing clean-up and restoration.
An estimated 1.9 million tons of soil are deposited into the ocean surrounding Kaho‘olawe each year through erosion. The KIRC’s Pu‘u Moa‘ulanui restoration project focuses on reducing sediment flow in stream channels before it reaches the sea by promoting growth of vegetation in those areas. More than 100 acres have been planted with native species that include trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and herbs.
There are still unexploded ordnance (bombs) and other hazards
Photo of one happy volunteer atop of "Navigators Point". I enjoyed my time volunteer/working on Kaho'olawe and feeling connected with the ‘āina—the wind, ocean, land, and heavens.
Friends Of Haleakala National Park http://www.fhnp.org/index.html
Haleakala National Park is one of the most threatened parks within the National Park System. It has more threatened and endangered species than any other national park in the U.S. The primary threat to Haleakala National Park is from alien species (such as non-native plants and animals that do not naturally occur in Hawaii).
I've been involved with the Friends Of Haleakala for many years, joining in on their service trips and assisting in general weed erradication and the outplanting of endangered species within the national park area.
