The Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative stewards a remnant patch of tropical dry forest on Hawaiʻi Island's leeward side. It's home to an ancient grove of 131 wiliwili trees, a native tree that was nearly wiped out by an invasive wasp.
Initiative Preserve Manager Rob Yagi said one of those wiliwili suffered significant damage during the storm.
"This is a tree that we always called our champion tree because it was recognized as one of the largest trees in the entire state. …The trunk of it was almost five feet in diameter," he said.
Intense winds from Lala whipped through Waikoloa and ripped off several of the champion tree’s major branches. While some parts of the tree are still standing, Yagi said it’s a "roll of the dice" as to whether the tree will survive.
Those winds also tore down parts of another tree in the preserve: a critically endangered uhiuhi. Only 50 uhiuhi individuals still exist in the wild, eight of which are in the Initiative’s preserve.
"We're hopeful that the remaining part of the tree is going to survive, but it was one of our biggest seed producers of the uhiuhi population, and so it's really unfortunate to see that come down," Yagi said.
Overall, Yagi believes Waikoloa’s dry forest was spared from the worst effects of the storm. But the loss of even one tree weighs heavy.
"I spend my whole life in service of these trees trying to protect them. So anytime one is lost, it's really tragic," he said.
