Forests give us so much: air to breathe, food to eat, shade from the sun, erosion control, and more. In Hawaiʻi, our mauka forests are our only source of fresh water, as rain and mist are captured by forests and deposited into our groundwater.

Each year on March 21 we celebrate the International Day of Forests. This holiday was created by the United Nations in 2012 and is an opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of forests and celebrate all they do for us. Visit the link below for more information.

To celebrate forests in Hawaiʻi, learn about our Forestry Program and some of the ways we engage with and support Hawaiian forests:

• Learn about your Forest Reserve System, over 700,000 acres of public, forested lands
• Get a forestry permit to collect foliage, fruits, and flowers
• Learn how forests support our neighborhoods, schools, and businesses from our Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry program
• Are you a landowner wanting to steward your forest resources? Check out our Forest Stewardship Program and our Legacy Lands Conservation Program
• Learn how we manage wildfires to protect our forests
• Learn about our projects to encourage carbon sequestration and build a carbon credit market.