STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
DAWN CHANG
CHAIRPERSON
NATIVE TREES CENTER STAGE AT EARTH DAY PLANTING CEREMONY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2025
HONOLULU — The grounds of Washington Place now have additional native vegetation, as Governor Josh Green M.D., First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, and DLNR Chair Dawn Chang joined students from St. Andrew’s School in a community Earth Day planting ceremony.
ʻŌhiʻa ʻāhihi and koaiʻa — a close relative of koa were chosen because they have historically been part of the landscape at Washington Place. Staff consulted records that were hand-written by Queen Liliuʻokalani describing the trees on the property, which included both koa and ʻōhiʻa.
In remarks prior to the tree planting, Governor Green said, “These trees gather our water, support our wildlife and make life in Hawaiʻi possible. We are planting these to show support for both our natural environment and for the people of Hawaiʻi.”
Governor Green noted that many related ideas are being celebrated today.
Planting ʻōhiʻa is particularly important now, as the fungal disease Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death threatens native trees. Planting more ʻōhiʻa and learning how to care for these trees, helps ensure a future for this important species.
“In addition to the students who joined us today, I want to thank the legislature for passing a resolution this year supporting co-stewardship of community forests in Hawai‘i by pairing community knowledge and expertise with our public land stewards at the DLNR. I literally look forward to seeing the fruits of these labors. My hope is to see community food forests on some of our public lands, where we can grow trees and communities together,” Governor Green added.
First Lady Jaime Kanani Green spoke of a vision for the future, through the lens of history. “When we plant trees, we plant hope — for the future, for our environment and for each other. Over time these seedlings will root deeply and reshape this space, just as you will shape the future of our communities.
Today, we carry forward the legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani who planted many trees on these grounds — with our hands in the ‘āina and our hearts on the generations to come,” she said.
DLNR Chair Dawn Chang reinforced the importance of trees for human health and climate resilience. “These are trees that give us shade, food, and medicine. They provide habitat for native animals. There are certain trees, like the ‘ōhia‘a lehua, that are not just trees but are the foundation of our native forests, guardians of our watersheds and our cultural connections to place.”
Chang noted that trees are important for climate resilience. In Honolulu alone, street trees capture an estimated 3,340 tons of carbon dioxide annually and save over $600,000 in energy costs.
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RESOURCES
(All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)
HD video – Washington Place tree planting (April 22, 2025):
(Shot sheet attached)
Photographs – Washington Place tree planting (April 22, 2025):
Learn more and get involved –
Adopt native plants at Grow Aloha events across Hawaiʻi:
Volunteer and celebrate the Year of Our Community Forests:
Media Contact:
Dan Dennison
Communications Director
Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources
808-587-0396