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By Marion Rodriguez, Special to The Desert Sun

When visiting the beautiful islands of Hawaii, it may feel like one is enjoying a little piece of heaven. In recent years, Hawaii has seen a vast and exponential increase in its forests, as well as an unprecedented repopulation of native wildlife that were once on the edge of extinction. And the beauty of the local culture only adds to the dream. But this kind of a dream doesn’t just happen — and thanks to the work of the nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI), it won’t be confined to Hawaii for long.

HLRI recently named Coachella Valley resident Francis A. Wong as its new chairman of the board. “I am excited to be elected as chairman and lead a team of exceptional individuals,” Wong said. “With the considerable help of our sponsors, we have well implemented our business plan and now have the technology to scale our business model globally. Our future could not be more exciting and challenging.”

The possibilities are exciting indeed. HLRI’s unique, community-oriented approach to fighting climate change has had an astounding impact on Hawaii. With the help of sponsors like the Alohilani Resort, the Hawaii Convention Center, the Four Seasons Resort and The Kahala Hotel & Resort, guests can make optional contributions to support local culture and reforestation programs and receive benefits like exclusive rates on environmental tours or free entry to cultural establishments like the Bishop Museum.

Guests who wish to be involved more in the cause are able to make additional contributions or dedicate Legacy Trees to loved ones, arrange visits to the Legacy Forest and geotag and plant their very own trees. This has resulted in foresting 1,200 acres and nearly half a million Legacy Trees in the last five years. HLRI has become the first in the world to produce certified carbon credits for the reforestation of endemic Hawaiian trees and is the first gold standard certified forest carbon project in North America.

Why trees? Simply put, trees absorb the carbon in the atmosphere and breed carbon credits. “This is by far — by thousands of times — the cheapest climate change solution,” said Thomas Crowther, a climate change ecologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of technology in Zurich. “However, [it’s] not a substitute for stopping burning coal, oil and gas, which is the chief cause of global warming.” Biologist Thomas Lovejoy at George Mason University put it simply: “Planting trees would help stem the loss of biodiversity.”

Recently, HLRI has partnered with Jet-Set Offset, an initiative bringing awareness of the environmental impact of air travel and presenting solutions to consumers regarding carbon offsetting. With HLRI they have created a platform for the everyday person to travel carbon neutral anywhere in the world for one cent per mile.

But such a program needs a strong leader. “Francis will bring a valuable breadth of sustainability, legal, political, and hospitality experience to HLRI,” said HLRI Executive Director Jeffrey Dunster. “We are so fortunate to have him at the helm of HLRI and are confident that his leadership will enable us to exceed our mission to reforest 1.3 million native and endemic trees throughout Hawaii.”

Wong, as a leader in law, resort development, politics and sustainability, has had an extensive and enviable career. He has practiced law at the Hawaii law firm of Rice, Lee & Wong; served as a staff member for John F. Kennedy when he was a U.S. senator; and served as a Hawaii state senator for 12 years.

Currently the chairman of Genesis Hotel Development LLC, Wong is passionate about sustainability and was one of the founding members of the Council on Sustainability in British Columbia and the Palm Springs Institute for Sustainability at California State University San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus. In addition, Wong serves on several boards in the Coachella Valley, including the H.N and Frances C. Berger Foundation, which has given more than $800 million to charities since 1988.

There is so much action being taken against climate change and Wong, along with his wife, Mary Ann, have committed themselves to continuing to rebuilding the planet’s environment; promoting long-term forest health, carbon sequestration and ecosystem diversity; and providing unmatched research and development alongside HLRI to bring solutions and positive change for future generations to continue around the globe.

For donations, sponsorships or more information on the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, visit legacyforest.org.

Marion Rodriguez is a freelance journalist and student based in Southern California. She currently writes about philanthropy and nonprofit charities. She has been writing for Desert Scene for two seasons.

Source: DesertSun.com