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About ReGreen Lahaina:

 

"We are Lahaina. The Living Thriving Heartbeat of Lahaina. We are dedicated to re-cultivating a green habitable home where now exists only one shade of grey. Our mission is to re-seed, re-plant, and re-canopy our home town of Lahaina to restore health and hope to our community.

 

 

Phase 0: 0-3 months since fire

Community outreach: It is essential that our community takes this time now to grieve our beloved town and have the proper mechanisms to process lives lost and find peace. We also need to recognize that in the destruction and ash there are still living things, plants and trees that have now gone several weeks, many severely damaged, with no water or attention. We must save and salvage what still remains. We wish to acquire a water truck and brand it with ReGreen Lahaina to reach the hundreds of critically injured  but still living plants and trees in the affected area. Restoring a shade of green to the area will be the most immediate impact of hope for our community to recognize their home as a habitable space again.

 

Phase 1: 0-1 year since fire

Resource gathering and plant propagation: In the immediate coming months there will be limited access to a majority of the burned land area as environmental assessments, demolition and cleanup commences. It is likely that  large areas of topsoil will need to be removed before any rebuilding or planting will begin. This will leave a very inhospitable environment to plant into and the soil health will need to be addressed. This time can be used to generate large amounts of compost from the thousands of tons of dead plant material that will be removed from the area and will be a critical part of re-establishing a living soil. This time will also be used to collaborate with all the nurseries in Hawaii and perhaps establish a dedicated nursery on the westside to begin propagating and starting the tens of thousands of plants and trees that will be used in the replanting effort. These will be plants that will be optimized to grow in Lahaina's climate and have cultural relevance, value, and beauty. It is important to begin this process early so that planting is not delayed when access is available.

 

Phase 2: 1-3 years since fire

Re-planting and irrigating: We get to put our hands in the dirt. It's hard to imagine a more therapeutic activity than planting a tree to watch it grow and thrive for the rest of your life. This will be a very important part of the healing process and we must make it a goal to involve as many members of the community that we can. Our children have an opportunity to live out the rest of their lives in a place that they have physically built and that will give them empowerment and pride that will live for generations. ReGreen Lahaina' s efforts will be focused on community organizing, distribution, and maintaining watering/feeding routes.

 

Phase 3: 3-10 years since fire

Long term food security, ecology, and climate improvement: Once the rebuilding process begins, buildings could be finished in under 6 months, but the trees that will create the skyline and the canopy and the shade in our living spaces will require decades to restore.  In addition to replanting public spaces and parks our residents will need access to nursery stock and guidance on how best to re landscape their properties during their rebuilding. This will be a big opportunity to emphasize food producing plants and inspire our community to lean into sustainability. This is also the opportunity to address the bigger picture and the ecological crisis we are facing in West Maui. The degradation and desertification of this area over the past century is undoubtedly a major contributing factor to the extent of destruction we have experienced. We need to restore lush forest canopies, clean running streams, and healthy living soils as a requirement of our ability to return home."  ReGreen Lahaina

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