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Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative Introduces Milo Legacy Tree Plantings
The native “Monarch Milo” will be planted at the newest Legacy Forest on Oahu’s North Shore

           
Honolulu, Hawaii, February 7, 2018 – The nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) has added the native Hawaiian milo tree to its forest restoration efforts. The first Oahu Legacy Forest, located at Gunstock Ranch in Laie-Malaekahana, will feature predominantly Hawaiian milo. The 500-acre planned forest, which was announced in January, will support over 600,000 newly planted Legacy Trees and be home to numerous rare and endangered species. 

HLRI is working with Gunstock Ranch, a 750-acre working horse and cattle ranch, and land manager Hawaii Reserves, Inc., to return the area to a native forest. Hawaii Reserves manages the property affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Visitors to the Legacy Forest will be able to sponsor and plant the “Monarch Milo” Legacy Tree through the award-winning

Hawaiian Legacy Tours. Milo trees are also available for sponsorship online via the HLRI website, LegacyTrees.org, for $90

per tree.  Hawaiian milo is a rare tree with a bright-yellow flower that has long been prized for its wood to make bowls, calabashes, carvings and musical instruments. The Waikiki home of King Kamehameha I was known for being surrounded by milo trees.

 “The unique conditions of this ahupua‘a provide us the opportunity to add additional native species to our existing reforestation efforts,” said HLRI Executive Director Jeff Dunster. “Milo, along with hala, hau, kukui, koa, naio and sandalwood trees once dominated this low-elevation area. We look forward to working with our partners and Legacy Tree sponsors to restore this native ecosystem, adding to the vibrant biodiversity of Hawaii.”

The Oahu Legacy Forest will be the third forest of its kind in Hawaii. The 700-acre Legacy Forest on Kahua Ranch announced in April 2017 will include dozens of endemic and native Hawaiian species over a contiguous mix of forest, marshland and fully vegetated volcanic soil on the western slopes of the Kohala Mountains. The original Legacy Forest at Kukaiau Ranch along the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii Island spans over 400,000 endemic koa, ‘ōhi‘a, māmane, naio, ko‘oko‘olau, kūkaenēnē and ‘iliahi trees on almost 1,200 acres of former pastureland. Legacy Tree sponsors may also plant “King Koa” and “Royal Sandalwood” Legacy Trees on Hawaii Island. Sponsors often plant a tree to honor an individual, commemorate an event or memorialize a loved one.

HLRI uses state-of-the-art radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to record the growth, health, location and sponsorship details of each tree. Trees can be tracked online through HLRI’s TreeTrackerTM. HLRI and sustainable forestry company HLH are working to reforest 1.3 million trees across the state – one for each person in Hawaii.

About Gunstock Ranch: Gunstock Ranch is a working horse and cattle ranch that has been in operation since 1971 and currently offers horseback rides and other tours and activities that focus on the paniolo culture and history of the land. Learn more about Gunstock Ranch at GunstockRanch.com. 

About HRI: Hawaii Reserves, Inc. manages property affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located primarily in Laie on the North Shore of O‘ahu. This includes several thousand acres of agricultural and preservation land, as well as other commercial and residential properties.

About HLRI: Through state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies, the nonprofit organization 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 planted for permanent reforestation and are sponsored by businesses and individuals, with a portion of proceeds donated to charities worldwide. For more, visit LegacyTrees.org.

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