23-04-2025
Native flora planted at Washington Place for Earth Day
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Several plants native to Hawaiʻi, such as ʻŌhiʻa, ʻāhihi and koaiʻa, were planted on the grounds of Washington Place in celebration of Earth Day.
The plants were chosen as Queen Liliʻuokalani described these exact plants on the property, where she was arrested during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and lived the rest of her life.
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For the ceremonial planting, Gov. Josh Green, First Lady Jaime Kanani Green and DLNR Chair Dawn Chang were joined by St. Andrews' School students to commemorate the celebration of nature.
'These trees gather our water, support our wildlife and make life in Hawaiʻi possible,' Green said prior to the planting. 'We are planting these to show support for both our natural environment and for the people of Hawaiʻi.'
According to the governor, Earth Day represents an 'opportunity to pause and reflect on our connection to ʻāina, to be aware of how our islands support us and to take action to give support back to these lands.'However, the ceremonial planting represents more than just Earth Day, as 2025 is the Year of Our Community Forests. The planting also represents the concepting of Growing Aloha, as well as ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Day, which is on April 25 and raises awareness about protecting the native tree from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death disease.
'When we plant trees, we plant hope–for the future, for our environment and for each other. Over time, these seedlings will root deeply and reshape this space, just as you will shape the future of our communities,' the First Lady said. 'Today, we carry forward the legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani who planted many trees on these grounds–with our hands in the ʻāina and our hearts on the generations to come.'
Chang also emphasized the importance of trees for human health and climate resilience, with it being notable that Honolulu street trees capture over 3,300 tons of carbon dioxide annually, saving over $600,000 in energy costs.
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