Arbor Day Hawaiʻi 2026 kicks off Saturday on Kauaʻi with events throughout the month.
Residents and visitors are invited to enjoy tree-related activities on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi and Oʻahu featuring tree giveaways, community plantings and tree care workshops, a news release said.
“Arbor Day Hawaiʻi is about more than planting trees. It is an opportunity to strengthen connections between people and place,” said Dr. Heather McMillen, an urban and community forester with the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
The Kaulunani program supports these efforts by fostering community involvement in the stewardship of trees and forests throughout Hawaiʻi.
Activities provide opportunities to recognize the vital role trees play by providing shade, improving air quality, supporting wildlife habitat and reducing stormwater runoff and erosion.
Arbor Day also is a chance to appreciate the importance of native Hawaiian and Polynesian-introduced trees — species like kou, milo, ʻulu and niu — that have sustained the people, traditions and landscapes of Hawaiʻi for generations.
Kauaʻi events
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m.-noon – Native and ornamental tree giveaway, demonstrations and a Keiki Planting Zone for youngsters to learn about transplanting and caring for young seedlings at Kukui Grove Center, Lihue.
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m.-noon – Grow Aloha Festival with free native plant adoptions and boutique plant sale at National Tropical Botanical Garden Lāwaʻi Gardens Visitor Center, Kōloa.
- Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest featuring plant adoptions, native plant sale and educational talks at Limahuli Garden & Preserve, Hanalei.
Some events require registration. More details can be found at the Kaulunani website.
