The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College as a Tree Campus.
“This designation recognizes our college’s commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainability and community engagement,” said Chancellor Lui Hokoana.
To celebrate this achievement and honor Earth Day, the college’s Student ʻOhana for Sustainability (SOS) club will host Mālama ʻĀina community and student volunteer activities on Tuesday, April 22, at the Kauluwehi Garden and WaiPono Farm on the Kahului campus.
“Earth Day isn’t just a day to connect with the land but a day to connect with people. Resiliency in our communities is built through relationships with each other,” said Daniel Reyes, SOS Club president. “SOS wants to encourage students and our community to go out and build those relationships with one another in a fun and impactful way.”
Earth Day activities on campus will include prepping a new composting site, performing fieldwork and aquaponics greenhouse maintenance at WaiPono Farm, and seeding and repotting native trees at Kauluwehi Garden.
“With Gov. (Josh) Green’s proclamations of April as Native Hawaiian Plant Month and 2025 as the Year of Community Forests in Hawaiʻi, our campus is engaging our students and community to grow native plants and trees in support of regreening Lāhaina through a collaboration with Treecovery,” said Nicolette van der Lee, UH Maui College program manager. “We’ll also be offering free community workshops and volunteer events for native plant propagation and fire-wise landscaping in the coming months, culminating in an Arbor Month event in November in partnership with Maui Green & Beautiful.”
