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Hawaii (KITV) — More than 150 volunteers on Saturday joined The Trust for Public Land at Ka‘ala Farm in Waianae on Oahu’s Leeward Shore to take part in a communal land restoration effort. The participants— including conservation donors and volunteers from 13 local companies — helped steward Kaala Farm by opening loi and planting kalo, while keiki enjoyed cultural activities such as pounding poi and making healthy ulu pancakes. Named A Day on the Land, the venture emphasizes community connections to and restoration of Hawaiis important cultural lands, and volunteers ranged in age from four to 74 years old.
Volunteers came from Hawaiian Electric, Hawaii Gas, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Alexander and Baldwin, Central Pacific Bank, Edmund C. Olson Trust, G70, James Campbell Company LLC, Pulama Lanai, Title Guaranty, Makai Ocean Engineering, and Dentons US LLP.
“I’m honored to be here today with my Hawaiian Airlines ohana, alongside other Hawaii organizations supporting The Trust for Public Land and Kaala Farm. Conservation efforts like this one are important because they deepen our connection and responsibility to the island we all call home,” said Justin White, Technical Operations Communications Specialist for Hawaiian Airlines.
For over 40 years, The Trust for Public Land has been conserving land for people across Hawaii, protecting 34 sites across the islands for community benefit. It says it helps local communities safeguard natural, cultural, recreational, and agricultural lands for all to enjoy – including places like Kaala Farm, a nonprofit it assisted in 2003 by helping secure lands that provided access to their community operations.
“Everyone at Kaala Farm wants to express our sincere gratitude to all of the wonderful volunteers who came to help today. The work done by these volunteers allows us to continue being a resource to local school groups and the greater community,” said Eric Enos, Executive Director of Kaala Farm.
The Cultural Learning Center at Kaala Farm has focused on restoring ancient, abandoned loi kalo (taro flats) in an area that once served as a “poi bowl” for Oahu over its 20-year history. As a member of the Waianae Watershed Partnership, Kaala Farm protects the watershed, restores native dryland forest, and connects people to land through traditional foods. This nonprofit Native Hawaiian organization works with over 3,000 keiki throughout the island, connecting them to Hawaiian culture, history, and the land.
“At Hawaiian Electric, keeping Hawaii on the path to energy independence includes helping communities be cleaner, more efficient, more sustainable and less vulnerable by protecting and stewarding Hawaii’s environment, said Earlynne Maile, Vice-Chair of The Trust for Public Land’s Advisory Board and General Manager of System Planning at sponsoring company Hawaiian Electric. “Our volunteer work with The Trust for Public Land during the past five years has deepened our appreciation for Hawai?i’s special places like Kaala Farms and continues to inspire our efforts to achieve a renewable energy future.”
“Hawaii Gas is honored to once again help The Trust for Public Land in its mission of restoring and protecting our historic and culturally significant lands,” said Alicia Moy, President & CEO of Hawaii Gas. “Each year this event allows us as a company to give back to and support those seeking to preserve our land, and we appreciate the opportunity to make a difference.”
For a list of community workdays or to make a donation, call (808) 524-8694 or visit tpl.org/hawaii.
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Clayton Wakida
cwakida@kitv.com808-535-0440
