Fifth Annual ‘Ōhi‘a Love Festival Goes Online

A celebration of Hawai‘i’s endemic trees takes place on line from Wednesday, Nov. 3 through Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. The 2021 ʻŌhiʻa Love Festival is expanding from a single species to an entire ecosystem this year with the theme “Celebrate Forests.”

As part of the festival, three live workshops  will be offered:  

• 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 ʻōhiʻa, where they grow, and how to identify them   
• Presentations on cultivating your own ‘ōhi‘a from collecting and sowing seeds to planting and caring for ‘ōhi‘a at home  

Beginning, Wednesday, Nov. 3, free keiki activity and craft kits will be available at participating Hawaiʻi State Public Libraries while supplies last.

ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest will culuminate with Arbor Day. In Hawaiʻi, Arbor Day is celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Bring the celebration of forests to your backyard by adopting a tree at one of the Arbor Day events across the state.  

‘Ōhi‘a lehua is a cornerstone species of our native forests, protecting our reefs, and providing water for all, food for native wildlife, and inspiration for over a thousand years of Hawaiian culture.  Unfortunately, a deadly fungal pathogen leading to Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death has killed over a million ʻōhiʻa trees on Hawaiʻi island and hundreds of others across the state.  

Registration is required for some of the virtual events and the festival is designed for the whole family.  

This event is made possible through a collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi, the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and local Invasive Species Committees.