It was announced today that 200,000 native koa trees have been planted on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island, but there’s no resting for Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods. The organization’s goal is to plant 1.3 million trees, furthering its mission of restoring native Hawaiian forests.

Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, in association with organizations including the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the USDA, Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as individual “tree sponsors,” has helped to reclaim over 500 acres of former pastureland as native forest in the last three years.

“We are witnessing the birth of a forest—it’s really quite amazing. What’s more, this Legacy Forest is creating dozens of permanent green jobs, reducing the effects of global warming and most importantly, doing it in a way that honors the legacy of the Hawaiian culture,” CEO Jeff Dunster said in a press release Thursday, May 9.

(Photo credit: Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods koa forest by Kanu Hawaii.)

— Alice Terry