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The Maui News
Hawaii's endemic trees will be celebrated as part of the 2021 'Ohi'a Love Festival, offered free and online again this year from Nov. 3 to 6, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced.
With a theme of "Celebrate Forests," this year's festival will feature three live workshops:
• A virtual tour of the different types of forests and the special flora, fauna and ecosystems found across the islands.
• An examination of the different species and varieties of 'ohi'a, where they grow and how to identify them.
• Presentations on cultivating 'ohi'a, from collecting and sowing seeds to planting and caring for them at home.
Beginning Nov. 3, free keiki activity and craft kits will be available at participating state public libraries, while supplies last.
The festival will culminate with Arbor Day, which is celebrated on Nov. 6 in Hawaii. Residents can adopt a tree at one of the Arbor Day events across the state.
'Ohi'a lehua is a cornerstone species of native forests, protecting reefs and providing water for all, food for native wildlife and inspiration for over a thousand years of Hawaiian culture, according to DLNR. Unfortunately, a deadly fungal pathogen leading to rapid 'ohi'a death has killed over a million 'ohi'a trees on Hawaii island and hundreds of others across the state.
Registration is required for some of the 'Ohi'a Love Festival's virtual events. For more information and a full schedule, visit bit.ly/ohialove.