January 1, 2013 - Joe and Henry planting an ohi‘a lehua tree

Starting January 1st, 2013, Plant a Wish co-founder Joe Imhoff (and his newborn son Henry) have been planting one native tree on Maui EVERY SINGLE DAY.

This endeavor was founded out of Joe’s love for the land, his wish to expose his son to nature, and his interest in seeing the native habitats on Maui restored some day. He is documenting all of his plantings at his blog, JoeWouldGrow.

The trees usually cost Joe about $5 per day, which adds up to about $150 per month. Can you help?

Donate to support Joe & Henry’s efforts – every single dollar will go towards their daily tree plantings.

Joe is also looking for places to plant trees. If you are a land owner and would like a tree and a visit from Joe (and maybe Henry!), send Joe an email here.

MAKAWAO, HI, November 21 – Plant a Wish, a Maui-based native tree planting project that recently completed a mission to plant native trees in all 50 states, is back for a sixth consecutive year with its ‘Planting Christmas’ native Christmas tree sale and fundraising campaign. Starting today, Maui residents can begin placing orders on live, potted native ohi‘a lehua trees that have been pre-selected for decorating and displaying during the holidays. Each order includes free delivery, with all proceeds supporting the Plant a Wish project. Interested buyers can also request planting assistance, or may plant their holiday tree with Plant a Wish at an active native restoration site on Maui.

In 2007, ‘Plant a Wish’ co-founder and Makawao resident Joseph Imhoff initiated ‘Planting Christmas’, an annual project that inspires community support of the local native tree farming economy and encourages native habitat restoration in everyone’s backyard. As an expansion of his tree efforts on Maui, in 2010 Imhoff and his wife Sara Tekula began Plant a Wish, a 50-state native tree planting campaign and documentary film project. The couple completed their 50-state mission in November 2011, and is currently editing a documentary about the experience.

‘Planting Christmas’ trees may also be purchased as gifts and can be delivered to Maui residents. For off-island residents, native tree dedications are also available, where customers can send gift cards and planting certificates to friends and family members.

While searching for the perfect items for this year’s inventory, Imhoff decided on red ohi’a lehua, in the following sizes:

• Ohi‘a Lehua – Medium – $120 (About 3 ft tall in 5 gallon pots)
• Ohi‘a Lehua – Large – $150 (About 5 ft tall in 7 gallon pots)   SOLD OUT

“In our travels across the country, we have learned a great deal about the importance of native biodiversity in each local landscape,” says Imhoff. “While visiting most neighborhoods on Maui it’s rare to see any native plants growing. For the last 6 years, we have been changing this, one Christmas tree at a time.”

For more information, or to order your tree for the 2012 holiday season, please call Joseph Imhoff at 808-250-1469, or email your order to joe@plantawish.org. To purchase the trees online, customers can make secure payments at http://www.plantawish.org/planting-christmas

To learn more about the Plant a Wish project, visit http://www.plantaiwish.org

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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