Keeping Hawai`i clean,
green, and beautiful since 1912
THE OUTDOOR CIRCLE
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  • Christine Snyder
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • History of TOC
    • Board of Directors
    • Ways to Give
    • Donate Now
    • Give Beyond Your Years
    • Volunteer
    • Newsletters >
      • The Greenleaf
      • North Shore Outdoor Circle
      • Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle
      • Waimea Outdoor Circle
      • Greater Waikiki Outdoor Circle
    • TOC In The News
    • The Online Circle - Environmental Education Blog
    • Resources >
      • Plant Resources
      • Tree Information
      • Signage
      • Development Plans
      • Events
      • Current Issues >
        • Light Pollution
      • Environmental Headlines
    • Report a Problem
    • Contact
  • TOC Policy Positions
  • Membership
  • Branches
    • Branches
    • East Hawaii Island
    • East Honolulu
    • Kaneohe
    • Kauai
    • Kona
    • Lani-Kailua
    • Manoa
    • North Shore
    • Waikiki
    • Waikoloa
    • Waimea >
      • Waimea Nature Park Images
  • Trees
    • Tree Information
    • Exceptional Trees >
      • How to Nominate an Exceptional Tree
      • Exceptional Tree Map
      • Exceptional Tree Library >
        • Bibliography/Sources
      • Exceptional Tree Gallery
      • Tree Mapping - Get Involved!
    • Exceptional Tree Map
    • Kailua Citizen Forester Program
    • Trees of Greater Waikiki
    • Tree Reviews & Inquiries
    • Report a Problem
  • Signage
    • Signage
    • Report a Problem
  • Programs
    • Exceptional Tree Map >
      • Exceptional Tree Library >
        • Bibliography/Sources
      • Exceptional Tree Gallery
    • Carbon Neutrality Challenge
    • Google Trekker
    • Kailua Citizen Forester Program
    • Trees of Greater Waikiki
  • Christine Snyder
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JOIN OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO THE OUTDOOR CIRCLE
Thank you for supporting the enduring mission and vision of our founders!

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Would you like to know how we celebrated Hawai‘i Arbor Day?
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Branches of The Outdoor Circle Hosted Free Tree & Plant Giveaways!

As The Outdoor Circle celebrates its 110th anniversary, we are proud to support our branches across the state as they hosted Hawai‘i Arbor Day events with tree and plant giveaways, free seed distribution, garden tours, and more!
These branches of The Outdoor Circle sent thousands of tree and plants out into the community.
We thank them, all the volunteers, and the sponsors who helped make these events a huge success!

East Hawai‘i Island Outdoor Circle
​Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle
North Shore Outdoor Circle
Manoa Outdoor Circle

Waikoloa Village Outdoor Circle
Waimea Outdoor Circle
Kauai Outdoor Circle

​Here is how a few of our branches distributed hundreds of plants & trees.
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Jerry Lam, President of the Manoa Outdoor Circle, interviewed on KHON.
Photo gallery 1,000 Tree Giveaway
Community Groups Team-up for Manoa 1,000 Tree Giveaway

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 The Outdoor Circle's Legacy Grows From Trees Planted Across Hawai‘i
Scott R. Wilson, Immediate Past President of The Outdoor Circle, wrote an Op-Ed piece in the October 30, 2022 edition of the
Honolulu Star Advertiser on the importance of trees and The Outdoor Circle's efforts to beautify the islands.


The Outdoor Circle Legacy Grows from Trees Planted Across Hawai‘i by Scott R. Wilson


110 Years of Keeping Hawai‘i Clean, Green and Beautiful

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THE OUTDOOR CIRCLE CELEBRATES
110 YEARS OF KEEPING HAWAI‘I CLEAN, GREEN AND BEAUTIFUL

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Kawainui Marsh ~ Courtesy of the Star-Advertiser, 1966
Thank you to Bob Sigall for the wonderful "Rearview Mirror" article on the 110th anniversary of The Outdoor Circle in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The article mentions some of the incredible impacts The Outdoor Circle and its branches have had and continue to have ​on the beautification of Hawai‘i.

You may know that The Outdoor Circle was responsible for the enactment of strict signage laws that banned the billboard but,
Did you know...that The Outdoor Circle was instrumental in creating the current park layout for Ala Moana Beach Park?

Or that The Outdoor Circle prevented Kawainui Marsh from being developed into a 740-acre park with a marina?
Or 
that The Outdoor Circle helped save the night-blooming cereus hedge at Punahou School?

Those are just a few of The Outdoor Circle's accomplishments over the last 110 years.
More details are available in the May 6, 2022 Honolulu Star-Advertiser article:

The Outdoor Circle Celebrates its 110th Anniversary by Bob Sigall
​

Keeping Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful since 1912!

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YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
​Donate to The Outdoor Circle or One of Our Branches

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Over 110 Years of Keeping Hawai‘i Clean, Green and Beautiful

We depend on your donations to continue our mission of keeping Hawai‘i the beautiful, special place we all love.
Please take a moment to make your tax-deductible donation
to The Outdoor Circle or one of our Branches.

What The Outdoor Circle Accomplished in 2021

You may also make a donation in honor or in memory of a friend or family member, or give a gift of  membership to
someone who cares about Hawai‘i's environment.
We will be happy to send a note acknowledging your thoughtful gift.

Donations in any amount are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for doing your part to keep the vision of our Founders thriving for many generations to come!
DONATE ONLINE
donate by mail
Thank you for supporting the enduring mission and vision of our founders!
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​If you would like to make a donation that gives for the long-term, please consider making a legacy donation. 
Click here for information about 
our planned giving program ~ Give Beyond Your Years.

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Meet Our Board of Directors

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The Board of Directors FY 2022-2023
Left to right, top to bottom: Board Member Maureen Murphy; Jackie Wah, Operations Director; Board Members Denise Soderholm, Paula Ress, Cheryl Langton, Diane Harding
Kathleen Bryan, Scott Wilson, Gordon Aoyagi; Winston Welch, Executive Director; Board Members Jonathan Sudler, Joan Gossett [Missing: Mimi Bornhort Gaddis, Stan Oka]

​We thank our Board Members for volunteering to guide The Outdoor Circle to meet our mission
of keeping Hawai‘i clean, green, beautiful, livable and sustainable.
​Learn more about our Board of Directors.

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Good News for Trees!​

The Outdoor Circle is happy to announce the Mayor’s Directive 20-13 to guide city departments and agencies in matters relating to trees, created in growing concerns about how the city approaches its tree infrastructure and how each department and agency of the city needs to adopt.
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It’s an excellent start towards a unified treatment to establish and build upon policies and practices which will improve the management and care of trees in accordance with the City’s Urban Tree Plan. The Outdoor Circle looks forward to working with Mayor Rick Blangiardi, his new leadership, and all of our city civil servants to further strengthen and fully implement this directive to build a better, tree-filled urban canopy and cooler Oahu on our city streets, parks and public infrastructure.

Mayor's Directive 20-14 on "CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU ACTIONS TO ADDRESS INCREASING
TEMPERATURES AND THE URBAN TREE CANOPY" effective July 1, 2020

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Honolulu Magazine Exceptional Tree Photo Gallery
A photo article on some of Honolulu's Exceptional Trees

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An Update from The Outdoor Circle

Dear Outdoor Circle Ohana,
 
We know how much you value the important mission and vital work of The Outdoor Circle and its many branches and want to provide you with an update.
 
We have taken steps to protect the health and safety of our members, volunteers, staff, partners, and the community, by following the recommended guidelines. For the time being, all statewide and branch group activities have been suspended.
 
This unprecedented time has affected gatherings such as the 1,000 Tree Giveaway in Manoa to the I Love Kailua Town Party to the Camp Palehua native tree planting event. We have also shifted to work remotely for our small staff as much as possible and will conduct our regular office meetings virtually.
 
We look forward to the resumption of normal activities as soon as it is safe to do so. For now, the health and well-being of everyone is our main focus.
 
Our organization carries on a legacy of strength and resilience that started with our founding members. At times of uncertainty like this, let’s be steadfast in the knowledge that this time will pass and we will come out of it with a greater appreciation of life and awareness for all the beauty around us.
 
The natural and scenic splendor of our islands remains unchanged by current world events. It’s a wonderful time to connect more deeply with the incredible beauty that surrounds us. While practicing safe social distancing, give yourself a therapeutic mental and physical break by going outside to simply be present in nature when you are able to do so. 
 
For those who might like to travel a bit more “virtually” to places across the state, we have a wonderful tool on our website, developed with Google Trekker, where our Programs Director Myles Ritchie gathered imagery at 50 locations including: trails, parks, botanical gardens, volcanoes, rivers, eco-preserves and more. They were filmed using a 50-pound backpack with 15 cameras for a 360-degree view, allowing a viewer to “walk along” each of these sites by clicking a direction using the same process as Google Street View. It’s a great way to revisit these places or visit and explore them anew virtually. Click here for more info.
 
Additionally, we have an online catalogue that highlights the Exceptional Trees located throughout the state. This includes our Exceptional Tree map, information library and gallery. This is an accomplishment we are proud to highlight, as these Exceptional Tree resources are emblematic of the core mission and work of The Outdoor Circle. Click here for more info.

We sincerely appreciate your enduring commitment to the preservation, protection and promotion of Hawai‘i’s natural and scenic beauty through your continued support and involvement in The Outdoor Circle.
 
Please stay safe during this time, and know that we will get through this united as a community.
 
With aloha,
 
Winston Welch
Executive Director

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Join or Renew Your Membership to The Outdoor Circle

Become a Member Online
Become a member by mail
​Over the past century, the Outdoor Circle has planted many of the trees that cool the air and caress our lovely islands. Did you know we established the first plant nursery at Kapi‘olani Park in 1918, which we gave to the City of Honolulu in 1946, and which still operates ​today as a repository source for our city street trees?

Read about some of our other accomplishments: TOC Highlights.

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​The Outdoor Circle (Central Organization) is a
​GuideStar Platinum Participant, the highest level of recognition offered.

Click on the GuideStar logo for more information about the The Outdoor Circle.

Here are just a few projects and areas of advocacy your membership or donation will help support:

We will continue to assist the 11 branches of The Outdoor Circle as they work to maintain trees, fight illegal signage, and promote programs in their own communities. 

We will continue to preserve the natural beauty of Hawai‘i by opposing anything that would allow for the visual desecration of our islands and view planes.

We will continue our work with with various partners to map trees on public lands with the goal of ensuring that tree-scapes and green-scapes are preserved and enhanced.

Thank you for helping us keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful.
We cannot do it without You!

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Testimonials
"I joined and donated not just because I support your organization's mission and work, but also because I have personally benefitted from the organization's work. I work as a tour guide and visitors consistently mention how lovely the trees are, and how wonderful it is to not see billboards.

I was also the beneficiary of a one-time scholarship award while studying at WCC. I got my degree in Arboriculture, and have gone on to use it both in my visitor industry life, as well as my work in human services."
                                                                                                                                                        - JH

BECOME A MEMBER
The Circle is a membership-based organization. We offer individual, corporate, and lifetime memberships. You can join any branch at any time. We have branches all throughout the islands.
Click here to learn more about our branches.
GET YOUR GREENLEAF
The Greenleaf is our online newsletter. From statewide initiatives to branch projects to interesting stories about local trees, this is the place to find out what is going on around The Circle. Click here to read the latest from
The Greenleaf.
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​www.facebook.com/TheOutdoorCircle/​​

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Donate your vehicle, benefit The Outdoor Circle,
and receive a tax write-off.

More details available at www.Kokuainkind.com
, 
or call them at 808-834-6603
to donate your vehicle today.
​Thank you!

Subscribe to our mailing list

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BECOME A VOLUNTEER / INTERN
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The Circle relies on the support of volunteers to accomplish its work. There are many opportunities to volunteer on specific projects in your community or on statewide campaigns.
​
If you would like to become an intern for our state office, please let us know!

Click here to connect with us for more information about volunteer opportunities. 

BECOME A DONOR
The Outdoor Circle is primarily funded by the generous gifts of private donors. Please click here to make a secure donation in support of the work of The Circle and its branches.

All donations to The Outdoor Circle are tax-deductible and come to us in many ways, including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and gifts of appreciated stock. The Outdoor Circle is a 501(c)3 non-profit and its FEIN is 99-0085044. If you have any questions about how to give a gift to The Outdoor Circle, please call or email us.

All information on this website is the property of The Outdoor Circle and may not be used without written consent.
Copyright © 2022 The Outdoor Circle. All Rights Reserved.
The Outdoor Circle
1314 South King Street, Suite 306
Honolulu, HI 96814
Tel: 808-593-0300
mail@outdoorcircle.org