Lahaina may be getting a little greener as a nonprofit aims to donate trees to the West Maui community.
In partnership with the nonprofit Treecovery Hawaiʻi, the Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is caring for more than 100 trees at its Mana‘olana Garden.
The ultimate goal is to replant the trees throughout Lahaina, free of cost to residents.
Duane Sparkman, the founder and president of Treecovery Hawaiʻi, said the nonprofit has roughly 3,000 trees they bought locally, including breadfruit trees.
"The fact that we can give hope to people and then also kind of relieve their stress a little bit. Trees are a psychological benefit. If we look out a window and we see a tree, it brings us to a better mind state," Sparkman said.
Treecovery reported that over 25,000 trees were lost or damaged in the August wildfires on Maui. The nonprofit plans to add three plant hubs in Kā‘anapali at the Hyatt Regency Maui, Sheraton Maui Resort and Westin Maui Resort.
"When you go to Lahaina and you see trees that arenʻt healthy, it really depresses you. So these are very important for the mental psyche of our folks to let them know that the trees are going to be available, that they donʻt have to worry about that, that we have these trees," he continued.
The trees are about 6 feet tall. Sparkman said the trees will double in size by the time Lahaina residents are ready to take them home.
Additionally, the Marriott's garden currently hosts one of four air-layered segments of Lahaina's historic banyan tree. The propagation process aims to help grow new banyan trees from undamaged parts of burned branches, according to a press release.
