Eco-savvy travelers have a new reason to choose the Island of Hawaii for their next getaway: The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods in planting up to 500,000 legacy koa trees in the native Hawaiian forest. (This is reportedly part of global effort of Four Seasons Hotels to plant 10 million trees around the world. We say it's a good start.)
These trees, to be planted over the next few years, will significantly contribute to the reforestation of this depleted species. As "legacy" trees, they will not be harvested, and will live out their natural life in the forest. Located 34 miles north of Hilo above historic Umikoa Village, this 2,700 acre sustainable forest was once home to the koa forest of King Kamehameha I. The step will be significant in helping the Hawaii regrow its indigenous trees, as more than half of the native forests have been destroyed since humans first arrived on the islands.
Interested guests can visit the on-property learning kiosk called Hale o Kan u (house where planting begins) adjacent to the resort’s Cultural Center, during their stay to meet with a representative of Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods and learn the details of the program and plant their seedling into a small tray. Guests will receive a certificate with a unique code, allowing them to follow their tree via GPS signal once it is planted in the forest. Participation fee is $40 per tree, which goes toward the planting and care of their koa seedling through the partnership with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, which supports The Nature Conservancy with a $1 contribution per tree sponsorship to support global reforestation.