FOUR SEASONS RESORT HUALĀLAI TO PLANT 500,000 TREES

Resort in partnership to plant “legacy” koa hardwood trees in native Hawaiian forest

KONA, HAWAI‘I (September 1, 2011) –Four Seasons Resort Hualālai at Historic Ka‘ūpūlehu, the first and only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star resort on Hawai‘i Island, has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods in planting up to 500,000 “legacy” koa trees in the native Hawaiian forest. This initiative is part of global effort of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to plant 10 million trees around the world, in recognition of the company’s 50th birthday.

These trees, to be planted over the next few years, will significantly contribute to the reforestation of this depleted species. As ‘legacy’ trees, they will not be harvested, and will live out their natural life in the forest. Located 34 miles north of Hilo above historic Umikoa Village, this 2,700 acre sustainable forest was once home to the koa forest of King Kamehameha I, marking a historic and sacred place on the Island.

“This important initiative shows our continued commitment to doing the right thing,” says Robert Whitfield, general manager of Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. “Our partnership will allow our employees, our guests and clients to be a part of this effort in bettering our environment and Island in particular.”

Interested guests can visit the on-property learning kiosk, adjacent to the Resort’s cultural center, during their stay to meet with a representative of Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, to learn the details of the program and plant their seedling into a small tray. Guests will receive a certificate with a unique code, allowing them to follow their tree via GPS signal, once it is planted in the forest. A fee is $40 per tree goes toward the planting and care of their koa seedling, with $1 per tree going to The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, in support of native forest conservation. 

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and Boy Scouts of America, as well as various government agencies, are involved in the partnership, emphasizing the importance and value of this environmental initiative. “Hawaii has lost over half of its native forests since human contact,” says John Henshaw, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. “This partnership between Four Seasons Resort Hualālai and Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods is a step in the right direction to return the Hawaiian Forest to its former abundance.”

For more information and reservations, please call (888) 340-5662 or visit www.fourseasons.com/hualalai. 

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