By Staff Reports
(Honolulu) – Representative of the uniquely beautiful island landscape we call home, Hawai‘i is distinct in its celebration of trees and the natural environment with its very own designated Arbor Day.
Celebrated on the first Friday in November, close to the beginning of the rainy season and an ideal time to plant a tree, the City and County of Honolulu and Arbor Day Hawai‘i will mark this occasion with a tree planting ceremony followed by tree giveaways at several garden locations across the island.
This year, Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Department of Parks and Recreation staff invite you to a tree planting ceremony to celebrate Hawai‘i’s Arbor Day. The event is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Diamond Head-end of Kapi‘olani Park near picnic site #17.
At that event, the final planting procedures will be made for three monkeypod trees within the Queen’s park.
The following day, the public will have their chance to take home a tree of their own, and help make O‘ahu greener, during the annual Arbor Day tree giveaway and celebrations.
The giveaways are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2 beginning at 9 a.m. at the following locations across O‘ahu:
- Foster Botanical Garden
- Kailua United Methodist Church
- Pearl City Urban Garden Center
- Wahiawā Botanical Garden
- Waimea Valley Center
All of the events are free to the public, with free trees being given on a first-come-first-served basis while supplies last. Each location will have hundreds of trees, but make sure to come early to grab your new leafy friend!
The giveaway locations are not just a place to come pick-up a free tree, they are also feature festivals to celebrate all things related to trees. These festivals may include educational booths, tree workshops, and much more.
Make sure to help us keep track of the newly planted trees by digitally recording your tree planting using our easy online form, which members of the publiccan access by clicking here.
In December 2017, Mayor Caldwell committed, via the Chicago Climate Charter, to the planting of 100,000 trees across the island of O‘ahu by 2025. In early March 2018, Mayor Caldwell also committed to increasing the urban canopy coverage across O‘ahu to 35% by 2035. This goal was supported by the Honolulu City Council through Resolution 18-055.
As a city we are committed to these goals, but we cannot accomplish them alone and need your help to reach these milestones. Mahalo for helping us to make O‘ahu more green!