Half million trees planted in Hawaii

The Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative has planted its 500,000 native tree in Hawaii. More than 1,200 acres of former pastureland on both Oahu and Hawaii Island have been reclaimed and returned to native forest, according to the nonprofit organization.

“It’s wonderful to witness the birth of a forest, but there is much more going on here. This project goes beyond just planting trees. It is developing entire native ecosystems, right down to the shrubs, flowers, and grasses. We are seeing unparalleled research and development advances and seeing the return of the endangered birds that historically occupied these lands. The `io (Hawaiian hawk), the pueo (Hawaiian owl), and the nene (Hawaiian goose) all have taken up residence again in the Legacy Forests. It’s remarkable how fast these changes are happening,” Francis Wong, HLRI’s board chairman, said in a statement.

For more, visit https://legacyforest.org.