In-tree-guing events celebrating Arbor Day were held at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on November 3 to inform the campus and community about taking care of the trees in Hawaiʻi.
Hosted by the UH Mānoa Campus Arboretum, students, faculty, staff and the public were invited to a tree planting and mulching, where they added native flora to the palm collection at Hawaiʻi Hall.
Jenna Matsuyama, a junior from Las Vegas, Nevada, studying botany, dedicated time to take part in the Arbor Day festivities and help maintain the native plants near Hawaiʻi Hall.
“Coming to Hawaiʻi, it’s now a part of my duty to mālama ʻāina (care for the land),” said Matsuyama. “There’s no better way to spend my time than helping the community that I’m attending school and learning from.”
Following the tree planting, the UH community was invited to Maile Way for a tree and plant adoption of more than 270 plants, from niu (coconut) to loulu (palms) and various citrus trees. Engagement with education booths were a prerequisite to selecting a free tree. Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture pest quarantine division, CRB (Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle) Response Team, Oʻahu Invasive Species Council helped to educate attendees about invasive plants and pests in Hawaiʻi, as well as how to monitor and manage them.
“Imagine the world without trees; imagine our campus without trees. Trees do so many things for us that we can’t even imagine, every day,” said Nōweo Kai, UH Mānoa Campus Arboretum curator. “Arbor Day is one of the few days that we get to focus on all that trees do for our planet and humanity and our campus.”
The Campus Arboretum is one of 19 arboretums in Hawaiʻi along with Lyon Arboretum, another unit of UH Mānoa and one of the collaborators in this year’s Arbor Day events.
Kai added, “As one of the 662 ArbNet accredited arboretums worldwide, the Campus Arboretum is committed to teaching our community and beyond about the care and considerations we have for our trees and plants.”
