ReTree Hawaiʻi Tree Planting Soon!
PC: Andy Fox
by Rob Weltman, ReTree Hawaiʻi and Sierra Club Maui Group
It is happening on Friday, October 30 – tree planting across the state at conservation sites, schools, parks and many other places, organized by Lā Hoʻolu Pae Moku/ReTree Hawaiʻi, a coalition of dozens of environmental, conservation and community organizations along with governmental agencies. Visit retree-hawaii.org to see all of the planting sites and sign up yourself, class or work team for one of them.
While ridding the islands of fossil fuel in energy production and transportation is non-negotiable to turn around the climate crisis, we also have to look hard at ways to sequester all the excess carbon already in the atmosphere and latent around us. Nature provides us with an obvious solution.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide, sequester carbon and produce oxygen, a recipe for success. They also help stop soil erosion and runoff into the ocean, provide shade and cooling and beautify our surroundings. Native trees provide habitat for our endangered native insects, birds, bats and other animals.
Each site decides what to plant and how many of each type, so check them out at retree-hawaii.org.
Can’t join one of the planting sites on October 30? Plant at home or anywhere you can, anytime up to October 30, and then report the plants to the Web site above so they can be included in the totals. Or do both!
Are you a social media user? Take a picture when you plant and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #ReTreeHawaiiPhoto to win fun prizes for best picture.