The Hawai`i Chapter of the Society of American Foresters represents the forestry profession in Hawai`i and all those who work to protect and sustain our forests.
E Komo Mai, welcome to Hawai`i, the most isolated land on earth. Hawaii's forests range from sea level to over 9,000 feet elevation and include everything from tall rainforests to sparse deserts.
Our forests protect our watersheds and provide safe and sustainable water supplies for our people and agriculture. The state forest reserve system was established in 1903 to protect our island watersheds.
Hiking trails, from easy to challenging, provide access to some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth. Local families carry on the tradition of hunting wild pigs, sheep, and goats, as well as upland birds.
Our forests and other native ecosystems provide habitat for more threatened and endangered species than anywhere else in the US. Most of the 1,000 species of native Hawaiian plants occur only in Hawai`i. Hawai`i forests are home to 30 species of unique forest birds, more than half of which are endangered, and rare invertebrates such as the singing snails.
Hawai`i is famous for our sandalwood and koa timber, as well as the skill or our local craftsmen.
Native Hawaiians, kanaka maoli in the Hawaiian language, have always had a strong connection to the land. Creatures such as the `io or Hawaiian hawk have traditionally have been regarded as `aumakua or guardian spirts by some Hawaiian families. Land management in Hawai`i today is guided by Hawaiian concepts such as the ahupua`a land division and the ancient understanding that what happens in the uplands affects the sea.