Arbor Day Celebrations 2007

Comments (0) • Trackbacks (0) • Posted by on November 1, 2007 in Beautification, Education, Oahu

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Margaret Mead said, “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” She couldn’t have been more right judging by how The Outdoor Circle celebrated Arbor Day this year.

It was a sad day last summer when a stately, 90+ year old tree at Kuhio School had to be removed, the victim of disease. The tree was well loved and many of Honolulu’s media outlets covered the distressing news. Shortly afterward I received a call from a Kuhio School graduate who was so upset over the tree’s loss that she offered to donate a replacement tree.

Word went around among the landscape/tree community asking where we could obtain a Monkey pod tree. The response was amazing. Wayne Ogasawara from Mililani Agricultural Park stepped forward and offered to donate the tree of the donor’s choosing and Steve Nimz of Steve Nimz Associates volunteered to dig the tree out of the ground and move it to the school. He offered also to dig the hole and to replant it.

But first we needed to ensure that Kuhio School wanted another tree. Mrs. Evelyn Hao, Principal, was thrilled when we spoke. She admitted to being very sad to have lost the tree and couldn’t believe that someone cared enough to give the school another. She also stipulated that she wanted as big a tree as possible.

Thursday November 1, 2007 was our Arbor Day celebration at the school. Following a very stormy evening and several morning downpours, the day turned sunny and beautiful just in time for our celebration. As we kicked off our program we were treated to a rainbow which arched beautifully across the tree, as a bird frolicked in his new home. We could not have ordered a more perfect day!

Many guests from the community came as did representatives from the Department of Education and friends of The Outdoor Circle. The Kuhio School Choir entertained us with songs and the Student Government Officers provided us with many famous quotes and proverbs about trees.

All of this from one “do-gooder” in the community who cared enough to change her world and wanted Kuhio School students to benefit from the tree in the same way.

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