Blog - Hawaii Environmental Restoration

March 24, 2025

Spring Equinox Fun!

A delightful day planting in the rainforest with friends is hard to beat when it comes to meaningful moments! With the coming of spring, we celebrate YOU dear volunteers of Keau’ohana, for coming through in support of your local rainforest! Over the past 11 years you have helped HER mission in the Puna Community be a successful one!

Since 2014 more than 1,222 volunteers have contributed over 7,600 people hours, and helped to plant over 3,000 seedlings in Keau’ohana. Along with HER weekly care by half a dozen awesome technologists, we can finally see beyond the ROD crisis into a more stable future for this forest. The natural ‘ōhi’a regeneration on nursing logs alone (due to light conditions) is exhilarating to witness, and as time passes, proclaims a promise for the future of Keau’ohana.

Along with the restoration on our ‘aina, comes our faith in the kindness of people; thank you for walking hand in hand with HER, for the earth!

February 11, 2025

February 7th TCBES Presentation at UHH

Jaya Dupuis Blog

Jaya Dupuis served as a guest speaker for the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) seminar series for the Spring Semester at UHH. Since she herself graduated with a Masters in this program over a dozen years ago, this special event offered Jaya the opportunity to reflect back on her journey in the restoration of Keau’ohana and in developing HER nonprofit over the past 11 years. She was well received by both faculty and students, and hopefully contributed some inspiration to the unfolding journeys of aspiring students.

January 30, 2025

January 26th ʻŌhiʻa Love Festival & Master Gardener Plant Sale

Jaya Dupuis Blog

This year the ʻŌhiʻa Love Festival & Master Gardener Plant Sale joined forces for a very successful event on January 26^th at the UHH research extension on Komohana. The day was dynamic, bringing in a steady stream of community members to learn more about the environment from numerous groups. View this brief movie with photos produced by event organizers: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGdx61O-5I/rONn1BaJvU5a3sA10RnITw/watch?utlId=ha0c514d770

HER tabled at the event, recruiting over 30 new subscribers and volunteers while informing people about the Keau’ohana project, and Hawaii’s plant world. HER was one of the ʻŌhiʻa Love Festival committed participants prior to the pandemic; we hope that the festival will resume its original annual rhythm! It is a special community event for all ages!

January 6, 2025

January 3rd — Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center Volunteer Event

Jaya Dupuis Blog

The Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center in the Puna District is a retreat center seeking to give its travelling costumers a way to give back to the land when visiting Hawai’i. On the 3^rd of January HER hosted an enthusiastic group wishing to learn more about the rainforest, the challenges we encounter, and the solutions we have discovered.

It was their desire to have a well-rounded restoration experience, so the first part of our journey addressed invasive species, and all 13 participants were eager to then do a planting of 50 hala trees in an area they prepared and cleared of weeds. Being able to put a plant directly into the earth brought deeper meaning to their experience in Hawai’i and stimulated mindful intentions for the New Year.

January 1, 2025

HER Winter Solstice Planting Event — Dec 21st

Jaya Dupuis Blog

We hope everyone enjoyed their Winter Solstice; what a gorgeous day it was! For some of us it started with sunrise ceremony at Kukumaki point, bringing in the new season and the return of the light with Keone Kalawe. This was followed by the lovely annual forest volunteer planting in Keau’ohana! There were 13 participants for the event, and this time crew member Cory, contributed 25 native seedlings from his Mala La’au Hawaii nursery in Wa’awa’a to add to Ann’s wonderful selection of 104 seedlings.

There was a very exciting array of 13 native plant species from ‘ohe, akia, kopiko, alahe’e, ama’u, phytolacca, ‘ohi’a, to naupaka kuahiwi, ukiuki, kolea, akiohala, ‘ahu’awa, and ‘ilie’e! Do you know any of these wonderful native plant species? Consider introducing some of them into your own backyard in support of more native plants in the lowland environment; each species is truly esthetic! You can contact Cory to acquire some of them at mala.laau.hawaii@gmail.com.

November 13, 2024

Kūkūau Grounds Visit

Jaya Dupuis Blog

On November 8th, our Lowland Wet Forest Working Group (LWFWG) visited Kūkūau, a 1,600 acre healthy early succession ohia/uluhe forest site, hosting a number of other native species, and showing much promise to future biodiverse native forest land above Hilo.

This lovely forest is under the stewardship of the Hawai’i Land Trust, whose responsibility it is to: “protect lands that are integral to Hawaiʻi’s well-being and character, upholding kuleana to these lands, and the communities they are in, through thoughtful stewardship that deepens community connection and builds reciprocal relationships with ʻāina”. Restoration manager, Ulu Kealiikanakaoleohaililani (above) facilitated our 4-wheel drive adventure to the interior of site, for an inspiring walkabout and dynamic discussion!

The LWFWG is a collaboration between following entities:

BIISK — Big Island Invasive Species Committee
HER – Hawaii Environmental Restoration
HIARNG – Hawaii Army National Guard / Keaukaha study/experimental plots
HILT—Hawai’i Land Trust
OHA – Office of Hawaiian Affairs/ Wao Kele o Puna
Pohaku Pelemaka / Puna coast protection and preservation
UH Hilo – University of Hawaii at Hilo
USDA FS IPIF – US Dept. of Ag /Institute of Pacific Island Forestry
USGS PIERC — Pacific island Ecosystems Research Island Forestry
KS – Kamehameha Schools

By collaborating together we strive to ensure best possible restoration practices for each of our projects in support of remaining lowland wet forest environments in Hilo and Puna Districts. Collectively, we are working toward developing a cohesive stewardship manual for public support regarding native vegetation and invasive species issues.

October 24, 2024

Hawaiʻi Island Weed Management Forum 10/23

Jaya Dupuis Blog

A collaboration between Big Island Invasive species (BIISC), the National Park Service (NPS), Three Mountain Alliance (TMA) and the University of Hilo (UHH) Ecosystem Extension brought East Hawai’i environmental managers together yesterday to make connections and exchange information, and to bolster collective weed management and restoration efforts occurring in our community.

HER shared among other presenters offering synopses of projects being conducted, with a focus on the challenges and successes regarding invasive species control. It was a powerful opportunity to engage around inspiring techniques and achievements.

Talks and activities, both structured and unstructured throughout the day provided a warm environment to support one another in what is very demanding but necessary work.

HER participated in the Hawai’i Island Weed Management Forum annually in prior years. We are excited to see this opportunity reemerge, and grateful to those who worked so hard in rekindling this important community event. The most valuable part of such an exchange aside from shared information to become more effective in our mutual goals to support a healthy environment is the moral support provided by working together and networking.

October 8, 2024

Special Ekaha Planting — October 7th

Jaya Dupuis Blog

HER had a special and spontaneous planting of 70 native ferns in the forest yesterday, 64 of which were the beloved Ekaha, also known as the bird nest ferns. Ekaha are epiphytes who ideally like to perch themselves up high in the canopy, but survive well on a shady forest floor given the chance.

A hardy mother and daughter team visiting from Florida, Bonnie and Courtney, supported Jaya in finding shady nooks for them while also joining HER weekly restoration efforts with the crew in the control of invasive species.

A big thank you to community member Jennifer Perry, who donated these healthy plants to HER. These were harvested by Board members Jaya and Tom, from her 8 acre longon orchard in Kapoho.

September 26, 2024

Sept 22nd Fall Equinox Planting in Keau’ohana

Jaya Dupuis Blog

Fall Equinox in the forest was extra special this year due to the presence of Inigo, a LEMU representative and his entire ‘ohana. LEMU is an innovative conservation support platform based in Mexico that helps fund HER Keau’ohana project. Inigo and his family attended the planting event to give back while vacationing in Hawaii, and he took the opportunity to also conduct an interview of HER for a LEMU report.

“Another bridge to connect with each other has been built. Try the LEMU app to learn, explore and support conservation projects like ours. Now we can work together to tackle the environmental crisis and make a positive impact.” Download the LEMU app to support climate change solutions here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lemu-climate-change-solution/id1585824882

There are 23 vibrant people to thank for making this event a sweet success; a much greater turn-out than had been expected. Participants planted 250 seedlings into the forest and acquired a total of 80 volunteer hours!

July 22, 2024

La ‘Ohana o Pohoiki’ Festival — July 20th

Jaya Dupuis Blog

La ‘Ohana o Pohoiki’ Festival, was a celebration and gathering for the generational ʻohana of Pohoiki and all ʻohana. It was a day to bring our community together and learn from one another through a diverse range of workshops, performances, and exhibitors.

This special event, organized by Na Maka Haloa and Hua ‘Āina in collaboration with the County of Hawai’i and Kamehameha Schools, was deeply successful in its aim to foster connection to Hawaiian culture and traditions for future generations. HER was honored to table the event, and recruited 16 more subscribers and volunteers!

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