TOC hopes HCC protects historic Banyan Tree

Historic banyan tree on HCC's campus may be threatened by the new ATTC building

Honolulu Community College (HCC) is home is to an epic true banyan tree with a storied history intertwined with TOC and the urban growth of Honolulu.  If you haven't seen it, take a minute to swing by Kokea Street to take note. 


HCC is preparing to build a new structure on campus in what is currently a tree-filled parking lot.  The Outdoor Circle consulted with the Administration on the project proposal and this what we learned:

• constructing a 2-story building for their Advanced Technology Training Center (ATTC)
  
• in the Kokea parking lot area
  
• over 20 mahogany trees will be relocated to the new parking lot immediately mauka of the project area
  
• one mahogany tree will stay in place
  
• one historic banyan tree will likely be removed

We strongly urged HCC’s Administration to find a way to keep the banyan tree and build their ATTC building. Current plans call for the building to be next to the banyan tree.  Because banyans have aerial roots, it is possible to trim the banyan and train it to grow into the courtyard and away from the new structure.

This banyan has storied roots.  It is the last known survivor of six cuttings taken from the banyan tree that once stood at King and Keeaumoku Streets.  The Outdoor Circle fought long and hard to save that 100-year-old banyan tree from the widening of King Street.  After a year-long effort, the wider road won and the tree was unfortunately removed.  Before it died, however, six pieces were carefully cultivated and re-planted around Oahu in 1968.  The only cutting known to have survived is this tree in the parking lot of Honolulu Community College.

This historic tree provides extremely valuable environmental services (for free), including sequestering carbon, capturing stormwater, and providing shade that reduces energy costs.

It would be a shame to lose such a value member of our urban forest, especially in these days of increasingly hot days in the city.  If anyone is interested in helping to see how to save this tree and build the new ATTC structure at HCC, please click here to send us a note. 

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