Kaulunani Success Stories
Good Shepherd Church
Recognizing that their location in the middle of Wailuku town could provide a place of peace and rest to the business and residential community, the church aggressively embarked on a plan to landscape their grounds. Their goal was to create a place to reflect one’s spiritual gifts, and to serve the community.
Before: The grounds were uninviting and bland. A dedicated parishioner, Louise Aloy, spearheaded this project to beautify the grounds and create a sense of place. She could foresee the church becoming a gathering place, where the business community might find a moment for peace and solitude, to enjoy lunch, the fresh air and to find rest from the demands of a work day.
After: After a series of works days, with an all volunteer work force, the church achieved its place in Wailuku, attracting new parishioners and providing that special place of peace.
Island School
Island School on Kauai began their association with Kaulunani in 1992 in the wake of Hurricane Iniki. Island School had moved to its current Puhi site the year earlier, and what little had been planted on the 10 acres of former sugar cane land had blown away in the storm.
The school’s vision was to create a unique educational environment featuring native Hawaiian and early Polynesian-introduced trees. Through a series of grants, volunteer labor, community support, and in-kind donations, the schools has planted gardens, a windbreak, hedges, shady playgrounds and sport fields and an attractive parking lot – all featuring native trees, shrubs and plants.
Photo shows students with products made from the native trees planted on campus.
Oahu Urban Garden Center – 4-H Children’s Theme Garden
This creative project consisted of five theme gardens – a Pizza Garden, the Hawaiian Alphabet Tree Garden, the Sundial Garden, the Sensory Garden and the Animal Garden – and the development of companion curriculum about the gardens for third to fifth graders. Volunteers spent over 1,200 hours in the development, construction, upkeep and maintenance of this project.
The Pizza Garden represents not only the plants that are found on a pizza, but also provides the history of pizza.
The Hawaiian Alphabet Tree Garden emphasizes the use of Hawaiian trees corresponding with the letters of the Hawaiian alphabet.
The Sundial Garden focuses on the earliest means of time to the latest (use of global positioning satellite) measurements.
The Animal Garden has plants that carry animal names and are sectioned by wild animal, marine animals or dog-cat-mouse chase, insect and farm.
The Sensory Garden focuses on plants that have smell or touch sensations for both the blind and physically handicapped youth and adults.
Arbor Day in Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i celebrates Arbor Day with a state-wide Tree Give-Away each November. Arbor Day allows partner organizations an opportunity to provide educational moments for the community. Experts help homeowners understand the right tree right place philosophy, how to plant a tree correctly, how to maintain a tree and how to think about the choices they make for their site.
From Kauai to the Big Island, Hawai‘i residents have an opportunity to talk with experts and learn more about trees.
Arbor Day Partners include: the Hawaiian Electric Company Arbor Day Partnership on Oahu whose members also include HECO affiliates, Hawai‘i Electric Light Company and Maui Electric Company, the Oahu Urban Garden Center and the Waimea Valley Audubon Center, Kauai Nursery and Landscaping on Kauai, Maui Nui Botanical Garden on Maui, Ho‘oulu Lahui in Puna and Hilo on the Big Island as well as Bishop Museum’s Amy Greenwell Garden in Kona.
The right tree
Arbor Day pals
Arbor Day, Central Oahu