Arbor Day celebration first weekend in November

Garden to celebrate Arbor Day

Arbor Day will be celebrated at Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 2-4. The three-day celebration will include woodworking demonstrations, expert advice, and a give-away of 500 native trees. The activities will be centered around the new visitor center at the Garden, located on Highway 11, 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona.

Free native trees will be available on all three days from 9 a.m. to noon, or while the supply lasts. These trees include halapepe, milo, kou, and koki‘o ke‘oke‘o, the native white hibiscus. In all, 12 different types of trees will be available. There is a limit of one tree per person. Trees will be set aside so that some are available each day.

Artisans will be on hand shaping poi boards and poi stones from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 2-3, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 4. Some artisans will use chisels and stone strikers, while others will be using power tools. The public is welcome to watch and ask questions and take pictures, and some may be inspired to make their own boards and stones at home.

Also, on Friday, Nov. 3, from 3 to 5 p.m., there will be a seed exchange, where seeds of locally-adapted backyard crops will be available for trading. This is a good opportunity for experienced farmers to share their favorite crops, and for new farmers and gardeners to learn about the plants that do especially well in Kona.