On June 16, the nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, together with the Miss Hawaii Organization, planted 250 native and endemic Legacy Trees on the Big Island.

Penelope Ng Pack, Miss Hawaii 2018, planted Legacy Trees alongside other Miss Hawaii program participants. During each summer for the past five years, the Miss Hawaii Organization has dedicated Legacy Tree seedlings as gifts to all Miss America contestants.

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“As volcanic activity in Hawaii creates changes in the natural environment, it reminds us of how some of our endemic forests and wildlife are being lost,” said Jeff Dunster, HLRI executive director. “The Miss Hawaii Organization is replacing some of these lost treasures through the planting of Legacy Trees.”

This year’s tree plantings also included mamane, a rare Hawaiian tree found at higher elevations on Maunakea. It is known for its striking bright yellow flowers, and its seeds are the primary food source for the endangered Hawaiian palila bird.

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Legacy Trees are planted through HLRI, a nonprofit organization with Legacy Forests on Oahu and Hawaii Island. The total planned area of the forests encompasses more than 2,300 acres, allowing HLRI to exceed its initial goal of reforesting 1.3 million native and endemic trees statewide.

For more information, visit www.LegacyTrees.org.