Maui’s “Plant a Wish” Projects Returns to Document Statewide Planting Effort
(Makawao, HI) October 29, 2012 – The Plant a Wish project – for a second year in a row – is encouraging Hawaii residents to participate in planting events being scheduled across the state on Saturday November 3rd, or to simply plant a native tree in their yard on this day. All native trees planted on this day are eligible to be recorded for the Second Annual “Native Tree Plant-Out”, which is a Plant a Wish-organized, statewide count of the number of people participating and the number of native trees planted in one day. After completing the day’s events, participants are encouraged to “register” their planted trees on the Plant a Wish website to come up with the final count. Last year, 1,243 trees were planted on Arbor Day, an effort made possible by the participation of nearly 400 people from throughout Hawaii.
“We hope to see Hawaii residents surpass the numbers from last year, but what is most important is spreading the message of planting trees that are indigenous to our neighborhoods, and how this contributes to the health of our ecosystems,” says project founder Joe Imhoff.
One November 3rd tree planting event in particular, “Zip for the Trees”, will attempt to plant 600 native trees at Skyline Eco Adventures’ Haleakala Course on Crater Road in Kula. The public is welcome to participate in discounted zipline tours and to engage in the tree planting, which takes place from 8:30am until 4:00pm. All proceeds support local Maui nonprofits doing work for the environment. The trees planted at this event will be registered as part of the “Native Tree Plant Out”.
The Plant a Wish project – founded in 2010 by husband and wife filmmaking team Joe Imhoff and Sara Tekula and sponsored by Skyline Eco-Adventures – began as a 50-state native tree planting tour, which the couple completed on Arbor Day 2011. They are now editing a documentary film about the journey, and will continue educating and collaborating with communities about the role native plants and trees play in their environment.
“Planting trees is a great concept, but planting the right tree in the right place is much more solid and has a lasting impact,” added Tekula.
To register the tree(s) you plant on November 3rd, complete this online form: http://bit.ly/PlantOut2012
To find free native trees throughout the islands, visit the Arbor Day website for a listing of tree giveaways: http://www.arbordayhawaii.org/events/
To locate a tree nursery near you to purchase a specific tree or to get advice about the right tree to plant in your area, visit http://plantawish.org/participating-nurseries/
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About Plant a Wish:
Plant a Wish is a native tree planting project founded in Hawaii that brings local communities together, holds hands-on native tree planting ceremonies in all 50 states, and will culminate in an informative and fun documentary film. Visit http://www.plantawish.org for more information.
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