Maui's First Pubic PLANT A WISH Event Announced

LOCAL BUSINESS TO PLANT "COMMUNITY WISH TREE" AT H.A. BALDWIN PARK
The Permaculture Group launches its "Plant A Wish" project this Sunday, May 25th

PAIA, HI, May 20 – The Permaculture Group has announced the beginning of its community-supported native reforestation project, "Plant A Wish", by planning a public planting event to be held near the entrance of H.A. Baldwin Park this Sunday, May 25th at 2pm.

Joseph Imhoff, founder and president of The Permaculture Group, launched "Plant A Wish" at this year's Earth Day celebration at Baldwin Beach, where he asked festival attendees to write down their wishes for the Earth and for the future. Participants included State House Representative Mele Carroll, Maui Peace Action president Mele Stokesberry, and grade-school aged siblings Riley and Lola Kummer of Haiku (photos attached).

Their wishes, and the wishes of countless others, will be planted this Sunday under the roots of a native coconut palm tree, which Imhoff himself is donating to Baldwin Park. The planting event will be a chance for other Maui residents to come by and get their wishes in the ground if they missed out on the Earth Day opportunity.

"Plant A Wish" allows a person or a business to purchase native trees and donate them – along with their personal wishes for the future – to a native reforestation project on Maui or abroad. Their wishes are written on small pieces of biodegradable paper and planted underneath their tree(s).

The opportunity to "plant a wish" – and a tree – on Maui is extended to anyone, not simply Maui residents. Actually, it's Imhoff's hope that tourists will see the value in planting a tree on Maui as a way to reduce the carbon footprint of the tourism industry.

"If every tourist that came here planted a native tree, our landscape would be much healthier and would provide us with the water that we so desperately need on these islands," Imhoff added. "The public and private partnerships we're developing with local native restoration projects will provide plenty of chances for people to get involved."

The Permaculture Group plans to announce a much larger community-supported native reforestation project this summer. For more information, or to order a tree through the Plant A Wish program, please call Joseph Imhoff at 808-250-1469, or email proudtobuylocal at gmail dot com.

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The Permaculture Group is committed to fostering the bonds that make communities work in
sustainable ways. Through its community-supported agriculture projects, The Permaculture Group creates creative, engaging opportunities for community members on Maui to participate in projects for a sustainable future. This includes supporting local farmers, native reforestation projects, and promoting organizations and events that have a focus on green living. For more information, please visit http://www.permaculturegroup.com/.



CORRECTION: The coconut tree planted in Baldwin Park on 5/25/08 is actually NOT native to the Hawaiian Islands. Rather, the coconut palm was brought here over 14,000 years ago by Polynesian explorers, who made Hawai'i their home. Coconut Pams are non-invasive and are considered to be the "tree of life" because of the various benefits of the coconut fruit and its juice.