Oct-Dec 2024 Fall Update

Aloha,

We are feeling grateful for your support.

This is the first year for Aloha Pu‘u Kukui.  We have the same amazing crew caring for the watershed, and now we have an organization focused on giving them the tools and resources they need to take care of this special place.

We've been busy and wanted to share some of the highlights from the year:

A butterfly perched on a cluster of green and yellow flowers with blurred green background.

Koa Butterfly Returns

The Koa Butterfly returned to Honolua for the first time in recent memory.  Welcome back!  This is an important sign that our restoration work is expanding the habitat this native insect needs.

Group of eight people in black shirts inside an elevator, smiling for the photo. Some are wearing name tags, and the background shows a nature-themed wallpaper.

Conservation Conference

We took the crew to the Hawaii Conservation Conference in July where they met and learned from conservation experts.  It was a great place to connect, share, and inspire.

Woman wearing a red shirt, gray leggings, black sandals, blue cap, and sunglasses holding a large container of harvested grapes outdoors on a dirt field with trees and a wooden structure in the background.

Seed Collecting

Volunteers helped us collect thousands of seeds from Koa, Koai‘a, ‘Ōhi‘a, Wiliwili, ‘A‘ali‘i and ‘Iliahialo‘e.  The seeds will be used for future plantings and sharing with groups in Lahaina.

A group of hikers walking along a trail in green, hilly terrain under a partly cloudy sky.

Educational Hikes

We led ten educational hikes at Honolua this year for the local community.  This is a fun way to get out onto the land and learn about the connection between a healthy native Hawaiian forest and the watershed that provides our water.

People planting young plants in a field with orange flags marking planting spots, under a partly cloudy sky.

Planting a Forest

In November, we planted a new one acre forest at Wao Kele O Honolua.  Over two weeks, the crew and 120 volunteers cleared a field of invasive plants, prepped the area, and planted. Overall, we planted over two thousand Koa and ‘A‘ali‘i.

We're excited about next year and have plans to get even more people involved, helping us to protect and restore the Pu‘u Kukui watershed.

Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions.

We appreciate your support,

-John Meier, President, Aloha Pu‘u Kukui