New plants in new homes
By Kirsten Kagimoto | Reading time: 2.5 minutes
On February 19, we held our second Virtual Tree Planting event and you all came through—we ran out of plants in record time! Big mahalo to everyone who stopped by Moanalua Middle to grab a native plant for their home.
We made a lot of new friends, shared about native plants and plant maintenance, and chatted about Red Hill and our other work. It was great to see so many native plants go off to new homes, apartments and gardens. But the fun didn’t stop there! Part of our Virtual Tree Planting program is staying in touch with the new plant parents, connecting them to our tree experts if they have any questions or concerns, and making sure they have everything they need to help their plants flourish. Many heartwarming stories and photos have been shared just in the week since the plant giveaway. We are looking forward to seeing the progress of the plants and sharing their success stories.
We started our Virtual Tree Planting program in 2021, mid-pandemic, to provide a way to get our communities safely back outside, to nurture (and be nurtured by) nature, learn about native plants and get trees in the ground where we can. From our decades of hikes and service projects, we know the value and benefits of getting outdoors and giving back, something that was sorely missed during COVID-19. By providing access to plants and and the knowledge one needs to help the plant(s) thrive, we are creating a virtual community of new and seasoned plant parents that are connected by, and benefit from, a shared outdoor experience—similar to a service day.
Gardening - whatever that looks like for your lifestyle and space - is proven to be good for your mental health and overall well-being and the environment. It doesn’t need to be fancy or super involved, it can be as simple as a potted plant next to your window...because let’s face it, a lot of us move from rental to rental and/or live in apartments or studios without green space. So why not make that plant a Native Hawaiian plant?
If you are fortunate to live in a space with a yard, community garden or other green space, planting and caring for native plants and trees - especially in place of imported ornamentals - helps restore native ecosystems and slow the spread of invasive plants that displace native species.
And, regardless of where your native plant lives, it helps build awareness—of you, your friends, family and neighbors—of native plant species and that’s a win on its own. If you are lucky enough to be able to plant a tree in your yard, your tree could be around for generations and sequester a lot of carbon.
Thank you again to everyone who has helped make this program a success! We hope to expand our tree program to more communities on Oʻahu and then to our beloved neighbor islands. You can help us grow our program by donating here.