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`Ili`iliholo Gulch
Hawaiian Dryland Forest
Restoration Project

Kihei, Maui, Hawai`i


Behind this normal looking suburban house...

...a new forest is growing.


The project is:
  1. An experiment in whether a low elevation dryland forest that is self-sustaining can be recreated from scratch in buffel grass invaded habitat.
  2. A gene bank for rare native plants in Palauea that are being destroyed by development.
  3. Conservation quality restoration: all plants are propagated from the nearest native stand of each species, ensuring the genetic integrity of locally adapted and differentiated local populations.
  4. An low-cost alternative to membership in a gym for physical training.
  5. Creation of a neighborhood forest park out of a weed-infested eyesore, providing a uniquely valuable asset to the housing development.

Mahalo to the homeowners along the gulch who have agreed to have the project on their property, the volunteers who have help collect, weed, and plant, and the people who have given me helpful information over the years. Mahalo also to Pacific Rim Partners and Wailea 670 who have allowed access to the rare plants on their properties.

Special thanks to all who have donated plants and funds to the project:


Back yard native plant nursery


Ohai, awikiwiki, ma`o, and rain...


Photographs © by Linda Nelson, Forest Starr, and Lee Altenberg.