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10,000 Trees Project Kicks Off at Oahu Legacy Forest

in Honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Honolulu, Hawaii, December 9, 2019 – The nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) is partnering in the University of Hawaii Carbon Neutrality Challenge to help reforest 10,000 native and endemic trees on Oahu in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The first 2,403 trees planted are dedicated to the Americans who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Nearly 2,000 volunteers started planting the trees on Saturday in an effort that will continue this week.

The Carbon Neutrality Challenge is led by Camilo Mora, at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, and his 12-year-old daughter Asryelle Mora Rollo, in collaboration with The Garden Club of Honolulu and hundreds of volunteers. The project aims to test the feasibility of restoring native ecosystems to offset all of the state’s carbon emissions.

“It would only take 12 milo trees to offset the carbon footprint of the average person in Hawaii for a year,” said Mora Rollo. “Or you could plant three koa, or approximately 20 ʻōhiʻa, or a diversity of other native trees. What’s important is that we get these trees in the ground.”

Volunteers are planting kou, koa, lonomea, wiliwili and milo trees at Gunstock Ranch on Oahu’s North Shore.

“This event is one step toward a larger goal of making the entire state carbon neutral by planting trees,” Camilo Mora said. “Last year we planted 1,000 trees in one day, and now we are planting 10,000 in a week. Next year we want to plant 100,000 trees, and 1 million trees the year after, and every year to follow. Hawaii can show the world how this is done.”

The Oahu Legacy Forest has more than 500 acres of land slated for permanent reforestation. The forest will support over 600,000 newly planted Legacy Trees and be home to numerous rare and endangered species.

“We are proud to help support such a major grassroots effort to ensure the health of our forests in Hawaii,” said HLRI Executive Director Jeffrey Dunster. “This tribute on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day allows us to dedicate individual trees to honor those who served and lost their lives in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.”

HLRI has reforested nearly half a million native and endemic trees on Oahu and the Island of Hawaii, including koa, Hawaiian sandalwood, milo, ohia, and mamane. HLRI is promoting long-term forest health, carbon sequestration, ecosystem diversity, and unparalleled data collection for research and development, all while creating permanent green jobs for Hawaii families. Each sponsored tree is individually tagged and can be tracked throughout its lifetime.

About HLRI: Through state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies, HLRI works with landowners to establish and preserve economically viable and sustainable endemic Hawaiian forests, protect endangered species, sequester carbon and recharge watersheds. HLRI’s Legacy Trees are sponsored by businesses and individuals, with a portion of proceeds donated to other charities worldwide. For more information, visit LegacyTrees.org.

About the Carbon Neutrality Challenge: The Carbon Neutrality Challenge aims to test the feasibility of restoring local ecosystems to offset Hawaii’s carbon emissions. It is led by Camilo Mora, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa. His work on climate change has been showcased in media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, Fortune, CNN, Fox News and Breitbart. The Carbon Neutrality Challenge also includes 12-year-old Asryelle Mora Rollo, who showcases the project to NGOs and schools, and Audrey Rollo, who oversees operations. For more, visit GoCarbonNeutral.org.

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