The Hawaii Forest Institute’s Reforestation Projects Page

The island state of Hawaii is famous for many things. Beautiful beaches. Amazing volcanoes. Radical surfing. Awesome food.

And, Koa wood. The tree that begets this gorgeous wood was harvested extensively for the past two centuries, and has been cleared to make room for ranch and farmland. Since the tree only grows in Hawaii, the reduction of half of it’s natural habitat put tremendous stress on the species and the hardwood harvesting.

Groups such as the Hawaii Forest Institute have worked extensively with private and public entities to plant hundreds of thousands of acres of land with young Koa trees, helping to restore the number of these valuable trees and to provide breathtaking wood for future furniture makers.