Maui Nui Botanical Garden to host Arbor Day Garden Expo, tree giveaway Saturday

Maui Nui Botanical Garden will hold its 23rd annual Arbor Day Garden Expo and Tree Giveaway on 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday as part of statewide Arbor Day Hawaiʻi events planned this month by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The Maui event will include native and canoe plant giveaways, tree care demonstrations, cultural activities and educational exhibits, according to an announcement. The department did not provide a time or address for the event in its announcement. Details are available on the Kaulunani website.

Friday is Arbor Day Hawaiʻi, and the department’s Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program is promoting tree-related events throughout November on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. The program is part of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Events will offer free tree adoptions, community plantings, tree care instruction and opportunities to meet organizations that work to grow trees in communities, DLNR said.

“Arbor Day Hawaiʻi is about more than planting trees. It is an opportunity to strengthen connections between people and place,” said Heather McMillen, the division’s urban and community forester. The Kaulunani program supports community involvement in caring for trees and forests across the state, she said.

Trees provide shade, cool neighborhoods, improve air quality, reduce stormwater runoff and erosion. They also support wildlife habitat and contribute to human health. Arbor Day is a chance to recognize Native Hawaiian and Polynesian-introduced trees such as kou, milo, ʻulu and niu, which it said have sustained Hawaiʻi’s people, traditions and landscapes for generations.

Other events include:

• Hawaiʻi Island: Terraformation will host a native tree giveaway Friday in Kailua-Kona. Native ecosystem restoration professionals will offer care tips and plant resources.
• Oʻahu: Mālama Learning Center will host a workshop on growing and caring for canoe plants Saturday in Nānākuli. The event includes planting and cooking demonstrations and free plant adoption.
• Kauaʻi: The Kauaʻi Landscape Industry Council will host an Arbor Day event Saturday at Kukui Grove Center. It will include free tree giveaways, educational demonstrations and activities for keiki.

Trees are essential to healthy and resilient communities, McMillen said. “Getting involved at an Arbor Day event is its own reward but also a way to give back to them.”