KAILUA-KONA — The Friends of Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden are one step closer to securing the landmark garden and reopening it to the public.

On Friday, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources awarded the nonprofit $750,000 via the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Legacy Land Conservation Program.

The victory is a long time coming. Succeeding the Bishop Museum’s 2016 announcement to divest from the garden, the Friends’ group was quick to form, advocating for the garden’s protection and reopening.

The 13.6-acre garden includes one parcel that holds Paikapahu Heiau and four other parcels along the remnants of the Kona Field System of traditional Hawaiian agriculture.

The garden, the legacy of botanist Amy B.H. Greenwell, is not only home to rare and endangered flora, but also supports Hawaiian cultural use of plants and conserves plant resources of traditional Hawaiian activity.