Past Events › KWP Past Events

March 7, 2015—In the 11 miles from Kawaihae to the summit of Kohala Mountain at Kaumu o Kaleiho‘ohie, the annual rainfall varies from a couple inches to over 150 inches. Wow! KWP is blessed to work across this gradient, and for the first time, we are going to hit three different climate zones in one volunteer work day.

April 11, 2015—Our work for this day will be varied. In the morning, we will be installing the new steps along the entrance to the Sanctuary, removing invasive fountain grass, and collecting native seeds. After lunch, we will enjoy the abundant native flowers that are in bloom, and enjoy a talk story and sketching time with our resident volunteer artist, Susan Mitnik. She suggests you bring along a sketch book, pens, pencils and watercolor pencils. If you aren’t the artistic type, no problem! We will have enough work to keep us busy all day.

April 25, 2015—Join us as we continue a six-year tradition of planting native trees in honor of Earth Day. This year, we will be planting the foundational tree of the wet forest of Kohala: ʻōhiʻa lehua. These trees were grown from seed collected right in our own backyard by KWP partners, staff, and volunteers, and now is our opportunity to return them “back home” to reforest the leeward slopes of Kohala Mountain.

May 16, 2015—Our target? Himalayan (formerly called “kahili”) ginger. This plant has the capacity to displace Kohala’s native forest over time. Its rhizomes monopolize the forest floor, and its leaves block sunlight to the native mosses and ferns. So what is KWP doing about it? We have designated special areas on the mountain where our partners think it is possible to beat back the invasion and let the native forest dominate and thrive. Pu‘u Pili at Kahua Ranch is one of those places, and we’ve cleared nearly 30 acres so far.

May 30, 2015—We have another 1,000 baby trees to set free in our Koaiʻa Corridor restoration area, thanks to our volunteer seed collectors and our partners at DLNR who are growing Kohala ʻōhiʻa. Please join us this coming Saturday to plant ʻōhiʻa, manono, and pilo—all native, all Kohala. The Koaiʻa Corridor is looking greener and greener these days, and it’s not just grass! About 30 species of native trees and shrubs are thriving here, changing the pasture back to forest. Come plant with us, and get your hands in the soil. Read more...

June 13, 2015—Join us for a morning work day in the Koai‘a Tree Sanctuary, where we are continuing our efforts to remove invasive fountain grass and replace it with native trees and shrubs. Our work will be very focused: get the grass OUT and the trees IN! The thriving baby trees planted so far this year are testament to the strength and adaptability of our native dry forest flora. Oh, YEAH!

June 27, 2015—Yes, we know; they are not exactly cute and cuddly like baby animals, but we are in love nonetheless. Our native trees are full of life, and ready to grow into a forest... but not quickly. They take their time, in germination (some seeds can take over a year or more to sprout), and in growing (how about 2-3 years to reach 6 inches tall, like kawaʻu or lama?). But whatever their velocity through time, it is clear that these trees are meant to be out there, on the slopes of Kohala.

July 11, 2015—Join our Kohala Watershed Partnership (KWP) for a work day in the Koai‘a Tree Sanctuary! KWP continues its efforts to remove invasive fountain grass and replace it with native trees and shrubs. Our work will be very focused: get the grass OUT and the trees IN! Our goal is to create a tree sanctuary that is truly “native-dominated” from the canopy to the understory. Meet at The Kohala Center office in Waimea (65-1291A Kawaihae Rd) at 8:30 a.m. We’ll drive up…