Duane Sparkman (pictured) will be the speaker at the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset meeting on April 16, where he will discuss Lahaina tree recovery. Courtesy photo

The Maui News

On April 16, 2024, Duane Sparkman will be the speaker at the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset meeting. Sparkman will share information about mapping and watering surviving trees from the Lahaina fires, especially the iconic Banyan tree that was damaged in the wildfire last year, according to a press release from the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset.

Duane Sparkman is originally from AUSTIN, Texas and moved permanently to Maui in 1995. He has been in the landscape industry since his arrival on the island.

Sparkman has worked for the Department of Interior at Haleakala National Park as a Biological Scientific Technician. From that experience he reevaluated his part in the landscape industry on Maui.

Now in partnership with Maui Nui Marine Resource Council the Reef Friendly Landscape initiative has begun. After the August 2023 wildfires he founded the “Treecovery” program to keep survivor trees alive in the burn zones and provide free trees to the landowners of affected properties.

Sparkman has done this while he has been the Chief Engineer of the Royal Lahaina Resort and the Chairman of the Maui County Arborist Committee.

The meeting will be held at the Aston Paki Maui Resort Ali`i meeting room. Social begins at 5:00 p.m. and the meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. A light dinner will be served. To make reservations to attend the meeting please email Joanne Laird at mamalrd01@gmail.com.