After the deadly wildfire in Lahaina this summer, people across the world focused on the green leaves sprouting from a scorched, 150-year-old banyan tree as a symbol of hope. But
Hawaiians work to restore historically significant trees stltoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stltoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For people around the world, the green leaves that sprouted from a scorched, 150-year-old banyan tree in the heart of devastated Lahaina symbolized hope following Maui’s deadly wildfire this summer. Before colonialism, commercial agriculture and tourism, thousands of breadfruit trees dotted Lahaina; the fire charred all but two of the dozen or so that remained.
After the deadly wildfire that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina this summer, people across the world focused their attention on the green leaves sprouting from a scorched, 150-year-old banyan tree as a symbol of hope. Teams rushed to save it. But arborists are also trying to save another set of trees, ones with greater significance in Hawaiian culture, such as breadfruit and kukui nut trees introduced to the island by Polynesian voyagers long ago. They hope that as Lahaina recovers, residents will plant such trees as a way to help restore Lahaina's treescape, to teach about the care and use of the trees, and to reclaim the town’s historic identity.