As Earth Month approaches, many people are looking for meaningful ways to give back to Hawaiʻi and to support the long-term health of the Islands they love.
Hawaiʻi’s native forests play a vital role in protecting fresh water, stabilizing soils, supporting native plants and wildlife, and strengthening the long‑term resilience of the Islands. Yet decades of land‑use, for both tourism and agriculture, and environmental hazards like invasive species, wildfire and drought have significantly reduced native forest cover and left many ecosystems vulnerable.
The good news: Individuals can play direct and impactful roles in restoring these forests.
Founded in Hawaiʻi, Terraformation works with local partners to restore native forests through long‑term collaboration rooted in place-based wisdom and guided by ecological research. One of the simplest ways to support this work is through Terraformation’s tree subscription, which funds the growing, planting and ongoing care of native trees.
Where your support makes an impact
Trees supported through the tree subscription are currently being planted at ʻIole, an ahupuaʻa (traditional land division) and place‑based research site in North Kohala on Hawaiʻi Island. ʻIole spans roughly 2,400 acres from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean) and holds deep cultural and ecological significance in the historic Kohala region—the birthplace of King Kamehameha and an area long associated with regenerative stewardship of the ʻāina.
Today, ʻIole serves as a living laboratory and collaboration hub where Native Hawaiian practitioners, community members, students, researchers and land stewards work together to develop sustainability solutions rooted in ancestral knowledge and regenerative practices. ʻIole’s vision is rooted in its responsibility to care for the land, weaving cultural values with contemporary science to build resilient lands, waters and communities.
Photo: Courtesy of Terraformation
What your tree subscription supports
Through a monthly or annual digital tree subscription, participants directly support on‑the‑ground restoration work at ʻIole, including:
- Propagating native species such as ʻōhiʻa lehua and koa
- Planting trees in accessible restoration sites
- Supporting long‑term stewardship and monitoring
Each tree contributes to healthier watersheds, stronger ecosystems and increased habitat for native plants and wildlife—benefits that extend far beyond the forest itself.
Subscribers receive updates on the restoration projects they support, following trees from seed to forest. These updates share planting progress, site‑level impact stories, and behind‑the‑scenes insights that connect supporters directly to the land and communities they are helping restore.
Your subscription also helps cover the essential long‑term costs of restoration, including land access and preparation, native seed collection and banking, nursery operations, and forest restoration technology.
Be part of what comes next
Hawaiʻi’s forests play a critical role in the health of the Islands, today and for generations to come. Terraformation’s tree subscription supports native forest restoration at ʻIole—one tree at a time—helping grow forests that will stand long after us.
To learn more about Terraformation’s tree subscription and support native forest restoration in Hawaiʻi, visit terraformation.com/plant.
