Our Story:
The Plant a Wish project was founded by Hawaii resident filmmakers and land stewards Sara Tekula and Joseph Imhoff, who planted the first “Plant a Wish Tree” together in Kula, Hawai’i at the site of their 2007 wedding on a flower farm.
A hole was dug at the entrance to the ceremony with a young potted tree placed beside it. The couple encouraged their 150 guests to write wishes on scraps of recycled paper and put them in the ground. At the end of the ceremony, Sara and Joe planted a native koa tree on top of the wishes.
They noticed right away that their connection to that tree was special, heartfelt and lasting. They often visited the tree, and measured its growth. Soon, a ritual of planting wishes with trees was born.
Sara and Joe wondered if this same ritual might have a similar impact on people planting their own special trees, with their own hands, in their own neighborhoods. Now, they travel the country on a mission to host tree plantings in all 50 states, reminding everyone how special their lands are, and how easy it is to plant a tree.
Click here to read Sara’s bio.
Click here to read Joe’s bio.