Hawai‘i
CONNECTING EVERYONE TO THE OUTDOORS IN 2025 AND BEYOND
Connecting Everyone to the Outdoors in Hawaiʻi!
Morning unfolds at ‘Anaeho‘omalu, where waves murmur against the rock-spotted shore and warmth radiates off the lava fields. Looking mauka, the sacred peaks of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai rise in soft morning light, standing watch over a storied landscape, ancient trails, and anchialine ponds. Moments like this in nature are vital—reminding us of all we stand to lose, and all we must protect. That is why, like you, Trust for Public Land is standing up for the outdoor spaces that bring us healing and purpose.
You empower us to protect the places that uplift communities and deepen our pilina (relationship) to ‘āina. Over the last year, with your support, we:
• Returned ‘Anaeho‘omalu Kapalaoa to Native Hawaiian stewardship;
• Championed the conservation of one of the nation’s largest tropical fruit farms, O.K. Farms;
• Protected 956 acres of important watershed and native forest in Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu;
• Preserved 90 acres of forestland on East Maui’s windward coast, the first success in a multi-phase effort; and
• Co-hosted dozens of community events at ‘A‘ala Park, welcoming tens of thousands of people to reconnect with this urban green space.
(You can read more about these efforts in this report! )
Plus, we helped pass the nation’s first green fee for climate action, projected to generate $100 million
annually for environmental protection, hazard mitigation, and sustainable tourism. At the request of Governor Josh Green, I am humbled to serve on the Green Fee Advisory Council, which will be working with government, visitor industry, and community stakeholders to develop a fair and transparent process for project selection and funding and make recommendations to the state legislature in 2026.
Together, we are shaping a future that prioritizes resilient communities and access to nature. Thank you for standing with us to create a greener, healthier, and more sustainable tomorrow.
Mahalo ā nui!
Hawai‘i State Director
Edmund C. Olson Trust Fellow
TPL Hawai‘i Team.
PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
A Day on the Land at MAʻO Organic Farms
TPL brought together 130 community volunteers from 11 local companies for our annual A Day on the Land at MA‘O Organic Farms to connect with the land and deepen understanding of Hawai‘i’s community-led food movement. Volunteers planted, weeded, and harvested fresh produce, learning how aloha ‘āina and food security go hand in hand.
MA‘O Organic Farms, short for māla ‘ai ‘ōpio, or “youth food garden,” is Hawai‘i’s largest organic farm and a hub for food sovereignty and youth leadership. MA‘O has grown from a modest five-acre lease in Lualualei Valley into one of the state’s most productive organic farms, now stewarding over 532 acres across Lualualei and Mākaha.
Since 2009, TPL has been a proud partner in MA‘O’s growth, helping permanently protect 275 acres of farmland through a series of acquisitions that expanded the farm’s reach and impact. Our partnership began with an initial 11-acre purchase, followed by 7.5 acres in 2010. In 2019, we facilitated another 21-acre acquisition. Most recently, we helped connect MA‘O to $1 million in federal funding from the U.S. Navy, contributing to the protection of an additional 236 acres. These efforts have expanded MA‘O’s capacity and ensured agricultural lands on the Wai‘anae Coast are protected for future generations.
Our volunteers, community partners, and donors LIKE YOU affirm our shared legacy of connecting everyone to the healing power of the outdoors. We invite your company to join our Corporate ‘Ohana.
CORPORATE
‘OHANA
Mahalo to our 2025 Corporate ‘Ohana members for your generous partnership and shared commitment to Hawai‘i’s future. Your leadership creates lasting impact by protecting ‘āina across our islands and uplifting communities through conservation, stewardship, and connection to place.
Alexander & Baldwin
ALOHA Collection
American Savings Bank
Booz Allen Hamilton
Central Pacific Bank Foundation
G70
Hawai‘i Gas
James Campbell Company LLC
Macy’s Maui Land & Pineapple Company Oceanit
PAR Hawaii
Pūlama Lāna‘i
Title Guaranty Hawaii Ulupono Initiative
Ward Village Foundation
Volunteers at A Day on the Land at MA‘ O Organic Farms. PHOTO BY DILLON CATLETT
Celebrating ‘Ā ina Success Across Hawaiʻi
Puʻuʻeo Mauka
Seventy-four acres of fertile farmland within Pu‘u‘eo Mauka near Hilo have been permanently protected, marking a major victory for community-led agriculture. Native Hawaiian-owned O.K. Farms—one of the nation’s largest tropical fruit producers—has stewarded this land for over two decades, growing fruits, spices, and more while supporting local food security through community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes. With support from TPL and Hawai‘i Land Trust, the Keolanui ‘ohana (owners of O.K. Farms) purchased the land from the Edmund C. Olson Trust and placed it under an agricultural conservation easement, ensuring it remains farmland forever. This success secures their legacy of sustainable stewardship and protects Hawai‘i Island’s local food system, cultural heritage, and the natural landscape surrounding Waiānuenue (Rainbow Falls). Once at risk of development, the land is now a lasting community resource.
ʻAnaehoʻomalu Kapalaoa
Twenty-seven acres of coastal land at ‘Anaeho‘omalu Bay, called ‘Anaeho‘omalu Kapalaoa , were saved from development and preserved as a space for Native Hawaiian and local families to steward ancestral fishing grounds and restore cultural practices. Rich in history and ecological abundance, this stretch of shoreline
Top to bottom: Morning sunlight on Kāne‘ohe Pali. PHOTO BY ZAK NOYLE; Lychee trees hang heavy with fruit at O.K. Farms. PHOTO BY O.K. FARMS; Tidepools at ‘Anaeho‘omalu Bay. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
was protected through partnerships between TPL, Native Hawaiian descendant-led nonprofit Nā ‘Ōiwi o Pu‘uanahulu, County of Hawai‘i, State Legacy Land Conservation Program, and former landowner Waikoloa Land & Cattle Co. Now owned by Nā ‘Ōiwi o Pu‘uanahulu, descendants and the community will care for sacred sites, petroglyph fields, and anchialine ponds. ‘Anaeho‘omalu Kapalaoa will live on as a source of knowledge, nourishment, and healing.
Kāneʻohe Pali
Kāne‘ohe Pali, a 956-acre natural and cultural landscape adorned by the ‘Āpuakea rain and flanked by the Ko‘olau’s majestic pali (cliff), was permanently protected by TPL in partnership with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR DOFAW). Its lush forests and 11 freshwater streams provide habitat for 31 native species and sustain kalo patches, fishponds, and Kāne‘ohe Bay’s fisheries. Cultural treasures like the Kekele Trail, heiau, and ancient terraces now serve as a space for stewardship, education, and ceremony. This protection effort ensures climate resilience, water security—providing over 1 million gallons of drinking water for O‘ahu—and renewed access to a landscape where Hawaiian traditions endure. As the ‘ōlelo no‘eau says, “pali ke kua, mahina ke alo” (“back straight as a cliff, face bright as the moon”), Kāne‘ohe Pali, like the people who stood to protect it, remains steadfast as the pali and as serene as the moon in the face of adversity, a lasting source of strength and tranquility for future generations to come.
Maui Hikina Makai
TPL, DLNR, and landowner Alexander & Baldwin are working to protect Maui Hikina Makai, a rare seven-mile stretch of undeveloped coastline along Hāna Highway. This effort will safeguard up to 1,200 acres of ‘āina from coastal development, enhancing watershed resilience and public access for recreation and cultural use. In 2025, we secured the first 90 acres—a key step in reconnecting fragmented watershed land, habitat for endangered species, and protecting one of Hawai‘i’s last intact coastal rainforests. Maui’s windward coast has some of the island’s most limited shoreline access; this effort supports the restoration of community connection to the area’s recreational, subsistence, and cultural resources.
ʻAʻala Park
Led by the Chinatown community, lineal descendants, social service providers, skateboarders, and other key partners, ‘A‘ala Park has once again become a gathering place. This year, dozens of community-led events and programs have welcomed tens of thousands of people, reactivating this urban green space and reaffirming the park’s role as a vital place for culture and connection. In partnership with the City and County of Honolulu, TPL continues to advance the community’s vision for the park. A professional design team will develop construction documentation for the first phase of improvements—focused on enhancing recreation, safety, and accessibility. These milestones represent progress toward transforming ‘A‘ala Park into a thriving public space that reflects the resilience and aspirations of the community it serves.
Top to bottom: Sharing aloha across generations at Urban Makahiki, ‘A‘ala Park.
PHOTO BY KENNETH STRINGER; Rare coastal rainforest along Maui Hikina Makai. PHOTO BY DLNR DOFAW
Deepening Our Commitment to Maui
TPL is deepening our commitment to Maui at a time when the island’s lands, waters, and communities face mounting challenges and opportunities. In response to urgent and enduring needs, we have invested in our local presence by hiring a dedicated Maui Project Manager, someone grounded in both the place and people of Maui. This year, we welcomed Alyse Takayesu Parker to the role. She brings a wealth of knowledge and connection to our work. Raised in Kula, she is an environmental social scientist with a PhD from New York University. Her work explored conservation politics in Hawai‘i through the lens of cultural anthropology.
With Alyse’s leadership, our efforts on Maui will prioritize protecting land vulnerable to climate-related disasters, including wildfire-prone areas, and conserving landscapes critical to restoring Maui’s water resources. In the aftermath of the devastating Lahaina and Kula fires, our work has become even more urgent to meet the needs of ‘āina and people still struggling to recover and remain in their home community. In partnership with the County of Maui, we will work with willing commercial landowners to support the transition of key shoreline properties into permanently protected open space. These lands will serve the public by providing shoreline access, restoring ecological health, and strengthening climate resilience—contributing to the long-term recovery and revitalization of Lahaina. By creating a welcoming, walkable coastline, the work will support local economic recovery and help reposition Lahaina as a communitycentered, culturally grounded destination rather than one overburdened by tourism.
Protected by TPL in 2024, Pōhākea, Maui, is critical to mitigating wildfire threats. PHOTO BY SCOTT DREXLER; Janet Zisk PHOTO BY STAN ZISK
REMEMBERING JANET ZISK
Janet Zisk, retired Kamehameha Schools archivist, dedicated her life to preserving the stories, values, and cultural legacy of Hawai‘i. As a steward of Native Hawaiian history, she believed that honoring the past was essential to shaping the future. “How can you know where you’re going,” she once asked, “if you know nothing about where you come from?”
Janet’s legacy lives on through a memorial gift from her ‘ohana to TPL’s Aloha ‘Āina program—reflecting her belief in returning ‘āina to Native Hawaiian care and rooting Hawai‘i’s people to their homeland.
In the Year Ahead Your Partnership Will Support…
Aloha ʻĀina
Indigenous stewardship and land return are essential to meaningful, inclusive conservation. Through our Aloha ‘Āina program, we protect culturally significant places and return them to Native Hawaiian organizations, supporting community-led care and long-term stewardship rooted in ancestral knowledge and pilina to ‘āina.
TPL is raising $690,000 to support this work over the coming year, which will help protect places such as Pālāwai, Makali‘i, and Ke Kīpuka o Kalaeuila (O‘ahu); Kōkua Kealakekua, Ho‘oulu Wao Kele O Puna (Hawai‘i Island); and Waimea Poi Mill (Kaua‘i).
Sustainable Hawaiʻi
Hawai‘i relies on imports for nearly 90 percent of its food, leaving the islands vulnerable to climate disasters, floods, droughts, wildfires, and the steep rise in fuel and shipping costs. Through our Sustainable Hawai‘i program, we protect lands that sustain local food production, forests, and the precious water resources of both wai (freshwater) and kai (saltwater).
TPL is raising $480,000 to support this work over the coming year, which will help protect Maunawili Forest & Keko‘owai (O‘ahu); Maui Hikina Makai (Maui), as well as evaluating other early-stage land protection efforts on Kaua‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island.
Parks for People
‘A‘ala Park offers a powerful opportunity to improve community health and resilience. Facing high rates of diabetes, youth obesity, safety concerns, and climaterelated challenges, the neighborhood is ready for change. Through our Parks for People program, we’re
HOʻIHOʻI MAUNAWILI
This coming year, we will protect 1,084 acres at Maunawili, O‘ahu—guided by the Kailua community’s vision to restore this once-thriving agricultural breadbasket. In partnership with Hui Maunawili Kawainui, nonprofits Ho‘okua‘āina, Kauluakalana, and Hawai‘i Land Trust plus the state DLNR DOFAW, we will return this cultural landscape to commuity care. This work will enhance local food security and revitalize ‘āina momona, land that nourishes body, mind, and spirit.
working with residents to transform ‘A‘ala Park into a safe, welcoming space for all.
TPL is raising $576,000 to conduct Phase 2, which will support planning, permitting, and construction documents for park improvements, and ultimately an enhanced park, designed with and for the community.
Keiki repot banana at A Day on the Land at MA‘ O Organic Farms .
TPL HAWAI‘I BOARD
We
Marco Abbruzzese , Bank of Hawai‘i
Ane Bakutis , Kealopiko
Cathy Camp, Central Pacific Bank
Kekama Helm , Kānaka Aloha ‘Āina
Chris Hochuli, Merrill Lynch
Nālani Kaina , Kamehameha Schools
Steve Kelly, Eric A. Knudsen Trust
Ala Keolanui, O.K. Farms
Troy Keolanui, O.K. Farms
Mino McLean , Island Sotheby’s International Realty
John Meier, Conservationist
Blake Oshiro, Capitol Consultants of Hawai‘i
Jeff Overton , G70
Mahina Paishon , Waiwai Collective
Mike B. Pietsch , Title Guaranty Hawaii
Brad Punu , Green Climate Fund
Kirstin Punu , AES
Race Randle , Maui Land & Pineapple Company
Tom Reeve , Conservationist
Ka‘iulani Sodaro, Ward Village/ Howard Hughes Corp.
Jonathan Sprague, Pūlama Lāna‘i
Dr. Rachel Sprague , Pūlama Lāna‘i
Jan Sullivan , Oceanit
(Traditions from our ancestors, like aloha ʻāina, cultivate abundance). — Selection no. 817 from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, Bishop Museum Press, 1983.
Help
tpl.org/donate