It was Thanksgiving for the ‘aina Saturday at the new Palamanui Botanical Garden located at the Hawaii Community College campus in North Kona.
Dr. Richard Stevens and about 30 students and volunteers planted a variety of native trees in the dryland forest adjacent to the campus. He calls the 2-acre parcel the “forest of loved souls.”
“We ask everyone to dedicate their planting to someone special to them. All the plants here represent loved souls,” he said. “It makes it special.”
Volunteer Larry Hunter wanted to memorialize his “twin flame” Kalama. Discovering the lama grows in the area, he went in search of the ancient tree that is the namesake of the campus.
“I communed with the lama trees and felt an immediate connection,” he said. He connected with Stevens and on Saturday was able to plant a tree for his new found love.
Stevens explained lowland dry forests are the most endangered ecosystems worldwide.
“The 2-acre Palamanui Botanical Garden is the launching point to protect the lowland forest and be an outdoor classroom,” said Stevens.
An electric fence, powered by the sun, has been erected around the garden to keep goats from eating the saplings.
Wiliwili, ohe makai, a‘alii, kokio and naupaka were added to the rocky landscape as each volunteer dug a hole and planted their “loved souls,” covering them with mulch and giving them a good watering.
There is no irrigation system in the garden, so the keiki need to be watered by hand.
“We need about $4,000 for a system,” said Stevens. “I’m hoping we will find an angel to fund it.”
Adjacent to the garden is a 706-acre recently designated preserve the university is partnering with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife to reforest.
The preserve is home to recently discovered groves of wiliwili and Stevens hopes to propagate more by collecting seeds for the State Tree Nursery in Waimea, which in turn provides the school with saplings.
“We will do more reforestation to preserve what’s left and restore what’s gone,” he said.
The preserve is plagued with goats, which Stevens is trying to get the state to address by funding an electric fence around the area.
Anyone interested in volunteering for any of Stevens reforestation projects should email him at rlsteven@hawaii.edu
“If you want to do something valuable in life, plant a tree,” said Stevens.