2023 Maui Arbor Day Garden Expo & Tree Giveaway
Saturday, November 4th 
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, 150 Kanaloa Ave., Kahului
(across from War Memorial Stadium)
 

Hale ʻŌhiʻa (ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest)

Hale ʻUlu

Please join us for the 2oth annual Arbor Day Garden Expo & Tree Giveaway!

Saturday, November 4th, 9 am to 2 pm at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens

In partnership with Hawaiian Electric Company and Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens and the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals will host tree and plant care demonstrations, free hands-on Hawaiian cultural activities, conservation organizations, plants for sale, and a native Hawaiian tree giveaway that is first come, first served, one per person, any age. We will see the return of “Hale ʻŌhiʻa” with activities and games to earn additional free ʻōhiʻa trees and prizes. This year we are working hard to ensure that all your post fire tree and plant questions are answered. This website from Pacific Fire Exchange is a great place to get the basics about soil stabilization and re-vegetating burned areas.

2023 Presentation Schedule


 November 4, 2023

10:45 am – Update on the effects of the wildfire disaster on the historic trees of Lāhainā

Duane Sparkman, Chief Engineer at The Royal Lāhainā, Project Consultant for Kīpuka Olowalu, Maui County Arborist Committee Chairman 

Duane will be discussing the most up-to-date conditions of the treescape of Lāhainā, the plan to keep the surviving trees of Lāhainā alive, the plan for getting trees replanted as we envision the rebuild of Mala ʻUlu o Lele, and what this will take. 

 

11:30 am – Creating firewise landscaping

Heather McMillen, Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program, Division of Forestry & Wildlife and Miranda Hutten, Urban & Community Forestry Program Manager, Region 5, USDA Forest Service

Want to create a firewise yard? Come play an interactive game to find out how! We’ll learn to consider the right tree, for the right place, and how to give it the right care in the space around your home to reduce wildfire hazards. A little bit of thoughtful landscaping design and maintenance can help reduce the risk of wildfire spreading to structures like dwellings and community spaces. Learn to weigh the multiple benefits and values of the tree you take home today to promote a healthy, green, and safe space for you and your community.

1:00 pm Getting off the burning-merry-go-round: How native Hawaiian plants and trees are better in the face of climate change

Jeff Bagshaw, Division of Forestry and Wildlife 

What burned in Waihou Springs and why did it go on for so long? How did Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife fight this fire and how can we prepare for a changing climate more prone to burning? Anything can burn, but introduced pines, eucalyptus and wattle evolved to survive and burn again and again and again. The structure and chemistry of native Hawaiian trees makes them less flammable, but we have to help. Returning our lands to native forest trees and plants is essential for Hawai`i in a changing climate, in our forests and around our homes.

 

2:15 pm – Pruning for Health, Safety, and Defensible Space

Tim Griffith, County of Maui Arborist, Certified Arborist, Certified Tree Risk Assessor

Trees are wonderful, and provide us with so many benefits, but in an urban environment they require maintenance. Proper tree maintenance can have a multitude of benefits. It can help create a strong, long living tree, insure a safe area under and around the tree, and help create distance from structures in case of fire. We’ll discuss what proper tree maintenance is, and looks like, and how we can employ it to gain the benefits we are looking for.

 


Educational Videos

View these videos any time to learn some basics about tree care.

Proper Planting & Mulching Techniques with Hannah Lutgen

Basic Irrigation Repairs

Benefits of Composting

 

 
 
 

Plant Sale

Saturday, November 4       9 AM to 2 PM 

Discover your neighborhood plant nurseries at this event! Fill your garden with fun plants, from waterlilies to fruit trees, desert rose & more, when you visit MNBG on Saturday, November 4 for special deals! Join us for this great plant sale!  9 AM to 2 PM.

2022 List of Participating Nurseries:

Mila’s Succulent Garden – unusual succulents, cactus, houseplants, and fruit tree seedlings. 

 

Azteca Nursery – Desert Rose, unusual ti plants & crotons along with other landscape plants.

 

Maui Association of Landscape Professionals – horticultural books, a variety of ornamental plants, pomegranate trees and more!

 

Maui Master Gardeners – honey, a variety of ornamental plants

 

Kapa Curious – kapa jewelry and art, ‘ohe hano ihu, & hau earrings, ohia inspired pieces will be available in the form of jewelry art and keychains

 

La’ahana Creations – kapa crafts

 

Log Out Maui – Grafted mango varieties and grafted citrus varieties


How to reserve a tree 

The annual 1,000 Hawaiian Tree Giveaway will be an in person event. Trees are available one per person, any age. You may reserve a tree online and it will be held for you to pick up from 9 am to 2 pm; or you can walk-in and choose from a selection of trees that are being held for those without a reservation. 

Reserving a tree online: You may reserve a tree HERE one week before the event. Your reservation is tied to your email address and name, and your confirmation email will be your ticket for the tree. Reserved trees may be picked up from 9 am to 1 pm on November 4 at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. At 1 pm, any unclaimed reserved trees will become available for others to select and take home.

Parking: Residents are asked to park in War Memorial Stadium Parking Lot and walk across to Maui Nui Botanical Gardens at the crosswalk, or park in on street parking along Kanaloa Ave.  Directions to Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.


Bring a Maui Food Bank donation for drop off when you pick up your tree (if you are able)!

Top 7 needed items:   Financial Contributions, canned meat & tuna, canned fruits & vegetables, canned meals & soups, cereal, rice, and pasta.

 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions
participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race,
color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation,
disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or
activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint
filing deadlines vary by program or incident.


In 2019 we had a HUGE line waiting for the gates to open for our 1000 tree giveaway!!!

…and Maui County Mayor Victorino was there to shake everyone’s hand as they entered.  

We’re back in person in 2022!

SPONSORS
 




Please join us at the Arbor Day Garden Expo & Tree Giveaway
in 2023!

Saturday, November 4th, 9 am to 2 pm at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens

In partnership with Hawaiian Electric Company, Bank of Hawaii Foundation, and Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens and the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals will host tree and plant care lectures and webinars, and a giveaway of more than 1,500 Hawaiian trees. Learn about residential tree care and speak with the experts about everything trees and plants. 

2022 Presentation Schedule – check back soon for 2023 Schedule 


 November 5, 2022

9:30 am – ʻĀina Starts at Home (or Every Native Plant Matters) 

Jeff Bagshaw, Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Still trying to decide if that space in your yard should be a rose or a native hibiscus?  In old Hawaiʻi everyone understood that ʻaina was synonymous with not just land, but food and it begins at the mountaintops and doesn’t end until you’re over the deep channels of the ocean.  We’ll trace how the plant you take home at this event could connect to fish on the reefs and seabirds traveling the pacific.  With over 250 plant species that have less then 50 individuals in the wild, 423 species of plants that are threatened or endangered overall, every native in every yard matters.

10:15 am – Developing Disease Resistant Koa for Healthy Maui Watersheds

Nicklos Dudley, Hawaiʻi Agriculture Research Center

Koa is a very important tree species ecologically, economically and culturally in Hawaii. There is a huge need to plant degraded lands with koa. However, the high susceptibility of koa to a wilt disease, caused by the Fusarium oxysporum fungus, has made many land managers reluctant to plant this species. Join researcher Nick Dudley as he explains the journey to identify naturally resistant parent trees and establish koa seed orchards that produce koa wilt resistant seeds.

10:45 am – Identifying ʻŌhiʻa Types on Maui for Seed Conservation

Marian Chau, Kalelehua Seed Conservation Consulting

ʻŌhiʻa are remarkable for their diversity and ability to grow in many different ecosystems in Hawaiʻi. As part of the Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) Seed Banking Initiative and the Maui ROD Resistance Project, you can learn how to identify and recognize the 7 different types of ʻōhiʻa found on Maui. You can even use this knowledge to join MNBG’s ongoing efforts to collect and bank seeds of ʻōhiʻa for ROD resistance testing and future restoration. We also hope learning the names and characteristics of these ʻōhiʻa trees helps you build a closer pilina (relationship) with our native forests, the foundation of our island home.

11:30 am – ‘Ōhi’a; talk-story about our favorite tree and efforts to repatriate it throughout its historic range

John Carl Watson, ‘Ōhi’a Legacy Initiative

J.C. Watson, President and Founder of the ‘Ōhi’a Legacy Initiative (OLI) will be sharing about the importance of ‘ōhi’a, the role it plays in the native forest, and OLI’s efforts to connect people to native plants, teach propagation methods, and establish ‘ōhi’a lehua trees in urban areas across the state.

12:15 pm – Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) Update

Ambyr Miyake, ROD Statewide Outreach Coordinator for U.H. Mānoa

This important update will be presented by Ambyr Miyake, ROD Statewide Outreach Coordinator for UH Manoa. The presentation will cover the background of Ohia, ROD, present locations, and what you can do to help. ROD is responsible for over 1 million dead ohia trees on Hawaii Island and has been found on Kauai, Oahu, and Maui islands. Learn what you can do to help prevent the spread of this deadly disease in your neighborhoods.

1:00 pm- Mālama i ka Aina Award

The Mālama i ka Aina Award has been presented annually since 2003 to a landscaper, plant provider (retail and/or wholesale nurseries and garden shops), or commercial/agricultural property in recognition of their efforts to keep invasive species out of Maui County. The County of Maui, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and the Maui Invasive Species Committee sponsor and will present the award.

The winner will be announced at 1 pm the Arbor Day Garden Expo and Hawaiian Tree Giveaway on November 5, 2022 at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. The Mālama i ka Aina awardee will receive a koa plaque, a glass sculpture of a native species by artist Jupiter Nielsen, a one-year free membership with the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and local media recognition.

Nominators are requested to explain how the nominee’s activities or decisions have addressed the threat of pests on Maui through their industry. Past Mālama i ka Aina Award recipients were recognized for meaningful efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species, including incorporating codes of conduct in business practices, educating the public and clients about invasive species, and encouraging the use of native species in landscape design.


Educational Videos

View these videos any time to learn some basics about tree care.

Proper Planting & Mulching Techniques with Hannah Lutgen

Basic Irrigation Repairs

Benefits of Composting

 

 
 
 

Plant Sale

Saturday, November 4       9 AM to 2 PM 

Discover your neighborhood plant nurseries at this event! Fill your garden with fun plants, from waterlilies to fruit trees, desert rose & more, when you visit MNBG on Saturday, November 4 for special deals! Join us for this great plant sale!  9 AM to 2 PM.

2022 List of Participating Nurseries:

Mila’s Succulent Garden – unusual succulents, cactus, houseplants, and fruit tree seedlings. 

 

Azteca Nursery – Desert Rose, unusual ti plants & crotons along with other landscape plants.

 

Maui Association of Landscape Professionals – horticultural books, a variety of ornamental plants, pomegranate trees and more!

 

Maui Master Gardeners – honey, a variety of ornamental plants

 

Kapa Curious – kapa jewelry and art, ‘ohe hano ihu, & hau earrings, ohia inspired pieces will be available in the form of jewelry art and keychains

 

La’ahana Creations – kapa crafts

 

Log Out Maui – Grafted mango varieties and grafted citrus varieties


How to get your free tree November 4, 9 am to 2 pm

The annual 1,000 Hawaiian Tree Giveaway will be an in person event. During COVID we had an online tree reservation system, but last year this did not work well. Therefore this year everyone may walk in and select a tree, one per person, any age. There will be a wide selection of trees available this year – we have 20 species growing as of today – so please come early, and take advantage of the extensive signage, handouts, and free help from the Maui Master Gardeners to select a tree that will grow well in your area. The full tree list and growing information can be found HERE starting one week before the event.  

Reserving online:  Most trees will only be available first come, first served. Depending on the final inventory, we may make certain high demand, low supply trees available by reservation only, one week before the event. The reservation is connected to a unique email address, so you will be instructed to print the emailed confirmation message or show it on your phone as a ticket when you pick up your tree. Trees are limited to one per person, any age, and you may pick up your reserved tree any time November 4 from 9 am to 1 pm. At 1 pm on November 4 any unclaimed, pre-reserved trees will become available for others to take.

Where to park: Residents are asked to park in War Memorial Stadium Parking Lot and walk across to Maui Nui Botanical Gardens at the crosswalk, or park in on street parking along Kanaloa Ave.  Directions to Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.


Bring a Maui Food Bank donation for drop off when you pick up your tree (if you are able)!

Top 7 needed items:   Financial Contributions at mauifoodbank.org/event/arbor-day/, canned meat & tuna, canned fruits & vegetables, canned meals & soups, cereal, rice, and pasta.

 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions
participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race,
color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation,
disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or
activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint
filing deadlines vary by program or incident.


In 2019 we had a HUGE line waiting for the gates to open for our 1000 tree giveaway!!!

…and Maui County Mayor Victorino was there to shake everyone’s hand as they entered.  

We’re back in person in 2022!

SPONSORS