Overview

ʻIole is a 2,400-acre ahupuaʻa in North Kohala, land that spent over a century in sugarcane and macadamia nut cultivation before this project began. Terraformation Hawaiʻi leads the first phase of restoration here under the name Ulu Lāʻau o ka ʻĀina, alongside partners Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, the University of Hawaiʻi, and Arizona State University. Combining native forest restoration, ʻulu and tropical fruit orchard cultivation, and silvopasture on the same land, the project aims to establish ʻIole as a center for knowledge exchange and hands-on learning for North Kohala, extending impact beyond Hawaiʻi Island through pathways for faculty and students to engage.

Total Project Area

209 acre parcel

Project Start Date

2025

In Progress

10,000+

Approach & Phasing

A phased, community-rooted approach to restoring ʻIole's native forest, one acre at a time.

Forest Restoration

209-acre first phase reintroducing native and canoe crop species like ʻulu and aʻaliʻi — 1,000+ trees and 4,300 understory plants in year one

Community-Led

Kohala High School students, university researchers, and North Kohala community members are part of every phase of the project.

Two Ways of Knowing

Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, University of Hawaiʻi, and Arizona State University bring Indigenous knowledge and modern science together.

Successes

7,000 trees and counting

800 native trees have been planted with over 6,000 additional trees and 3,000 understory plants to be planted later this year.

Community-powered restoration

Kohala High School students, university researchers, and North Kohala community members contribute to the project.

Reviving native species

The first phase reintroduces native and canoe crop species, including ʻulu and aʻaliʻi, to land that spent over a century in sugarcane and macadamia cultivation.