Planting native trees to save Hawaiian forests

Dear friend,

While we continue planning for our next round of reforestation projects on Hawai'i Island, we wanted to take a moment to share some success stories from our other related projects establishing community orchards on the island.

Over at Hawai'i Academy of the Arts, the 25 tropical fruit trees planted in 2018 are now producing harvests for the students. Teachers there shared a meaningful Native Hawaiian proverb:

"E hinu auane'i na nuku, he pomaika'i ko laila / Where the mouths are shiny (with fat food), prosperity is there."

At Mountain View High School, teacher Jaime Lewis shared how their 15-tree orchard, planted in 2018, has flourished:

"Our orchard has been the inspiration for growth at our school."

At Kohala Elementary School, Garden Teacher Heather Brovsky reflected on the 25 citrus trees planted in 2019 and the impact they’ve had on the students:

"Having our citrus orchard donated by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation has given our students a real sense of connection to and responsibility for the garden. Each class adopting a tree has given them purpose and the pleasure of watching their trees thrive and begin to produce thanks to their care. That relationship — teaching students to 'malama' the earth and discover how it gives back — is key to cultivating young people who care about themselves, each other, and the earth."

We are committed to continuing this work — creating abundant school and community orchards across the Hawai'i Islands, supporting food sovereignty, and promoting healthy living for local communities. To help us expand these efforts, please consider making a donation to this project.

Mahalo nui loa!

Dear friends,

While our orchards in the northern hemisphere continue to wake up and flower, we are delighted to share with our friends and followers recent and upcoming spring projects, as well as new opportunities and ways to get involved.

Projects in February & March

FTPF was in Florida this February for a special orchard planting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where students and teachers joined hands in the garden on the school’s day of service, which honors the fallen from 2018’s tragedy on campus. As we planted the trees together, we were reminded that fruit trees leave a lasting legacy. From the clean air we’ll breathe, to the healthy harvest our children and grandchildren will enjoy on countless summer afternoons. Trees provide us with nutrition, oxygen, shade, and shelter. Trees give us life. Special thanks to all those who helped plant, mulch, and install irrigation on this special day.

While in Florida, we also planted a mini-orchard at Hollywood Hills High School to support the school’s goals to be environmental leaders in their community. As stated in their own words, the orchard will “empower students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care for other people, for our communities, and for the earth.”

In March, we helped create the largest food forest in Washington D.C. in collaboration with D.C. Parks, local group Forested, and our partners at PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union. Sixty-five fruitful trees were planted at Lederer Gardens, which grows edible and medicinal plants for the surrounding underserved community.

Another 24 trees and 16 berries were planted at Neabsco Elementary School just outside of D.C. in Woodbridge, Virginia. As the school’s social worker Coby Cobern explained: “[The trees] are living classrooms teeming with educational opportunities where kids learn about environmental science, climate change, nutrition, and teamwork.”


Projects in April

FTPF is visiting the desert Southwest this month to work with the San Carlos Apache and Navajo Nation as part of our Trees for Tribes program. We aim to support food sovereignty and traditional agriculture among indigenous communities through regionally and culturally appropriate orchards. Dozens of trees will be planted and distributed with our tribal partners in Arizona and New Mexico, increasing access to fresh foods for communities living in food deserts. According to the farm manager at San Carlos Apache: “We are located in a food desert, and are one of the only food producers on the 1.5 million acre reservation. This orchard will aid us in fulfilling our mission to provide sustainable, nutritious food to the community of the San Carlos Apache tribe, and provide more opportunities to provide youth education services to the community.”

Also in April, our Uganda-based team will distribute over 30,000 trees to smallholder farmers, low-income families, and schools. As temperatures continue to rise and rainfall is increasingly inconsistent due to climate change, multifunctional landscapes featuring food-producing trees are critical to ensure livable, viable communities.

New Merch Launch

We are excited to announce that we have a new merch store, where you can purchase FTPF products including shirts, hats, water bottles, and mugs to show your support for our work. At nearly every orchard planting event, we are asked if we have items available – so now we do! All products are organic or recycled and vegan, and there are customization options as well.

Orchard Updates

To end on a happy note, we’d like to share an update from one of our orchards in California. At The Ecology Center – a regenerative urban farm near Los Angeles – the 26 fruit trees planted in 2009 are thriving, averaging 50 pounds of harvest per year. Additional trees have also been planted to further regenerate the historic agricultural land. Ali Berens, development assistant at the Ecology Center says: “The orchard brings biodiversity and beauty to our farm, providing our community with an abundance of delicious fruit to taste and enjoy!”

If you have received an orchard from FTPF, please take a moment to fill out our annual orchard survey. This is an important part of our work, allowing us to improve and build on our programs over time. We send out an email reminder for the survey once a year, typically in the fall/winter.

Wishing everyone a beautiful and blossom-filled spring,

The FTPF Team