Revitalize Puna

The Revitalize Puna event held on June 9th at the Leilani Estates Community Center was a good step in the right direction, with more than 100 residents attending the first quarterly event. The County’s Disaster Recovery Division and County Council District 4 seek to involve community members in helping to plan and support us in becoming more empowered as a community on all fronts (social, cultural, economic, infrastructure, and last but not least (yet perhaps most importantly?) the environment, which we need for everything else to happen!

The event was well organized with discussion panels occurring at various booths depending on participant interest. It was a dynamic occasion for those present to bridge lives and build on future ideals. We hope that continued opportunities might invite more curiosity and engagement from the Puna public community over time.

Our environmental panels joined in discussions around restoration/reforestation, invasive species control, and climate change over three separate time periods throughout the afternoon. Several members of HER joined forces to greet the public with enthusiasm in support of developing a growing awareness of what it means to Malama O Ka ‘Aina!