Since 2014, the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative has worked to restore forests on ʻOahu and Hawaiʻi Island by planting endemic trees like koa, 'ōhi'a and 'iliahi, among others.
To date, the organization’s internal crews and staff, as well as community partners, volunteers and students, have planted more than 600,000 trees toward its goal of 1.3 million, which represents one person in the state per tree.
“We’ll eventually have to bump it up because we’re going to hit that soon,” HLRI Executive Director Susanne Kurisu told Aloha State Daily. “We won’t hit it in 2026, but we’ll just keep taking those baby steps. We’re not trying to be lofty. We want to be realistic and continue hitting our goals.”
She continued, "We manage our conservation lands — we don’t just plant trees and walk away. Our metrics for success are connection to community, culture and education, not just donation dollars or trees put in the ground."
HLRI manages hundreds of acres of Legacy Forests across two islands: Kukaiau Ranch (1,200 acres on Hawaiʻi Island); Kahua Ranch (1,200 acres on Hawaiʻi Island); Gunstock Ranch in Laʻie (500 acres on O‘ahu); Laukiha’a Farms in Haleʻiwa (400 acres on Oʻahu); as well as on hotel properties.
“We could probably extend to the outer islands but not looking to expand right now,” Kurisu said, adding that she is most looking forward to starting programs at the Haleʻiwa project “very soon.”
“Our model is to invite people,” she said. “Most of our volunteer programs at the moment will be there.”
On a monthly basis, HLRI will bring in volunteer groups, who help maintain the forests at every level whether that be clearing invasive species, working in the nurseries or planting trees. The organization also prioritizes educating volunteers on the culture of the place.
According to Kurisu, one aspect that sets HLRI apart from other local conservation nonprofits is the data collection component – every tree is geotagged, which tracks its survival rate and overall health, while sharing information with sponsors. Each Legacy Tree planted comes with an electronic Certificate of Sponsorship, detailing the tree's ID number and GPS location.
Funds raised go toward material and labor costs such as collecting and raising seedlings in its own nurseries, planting the tree, fencing out pests, clearing invasive species, and the RFID tagging through TimberTracker.
Another distinction is that HLRI is the only certified carbon offset program in the state, Kurisu noted.
She added, what that means is regular audits and maintaining high standards that help remove or reduce emissions. Besides restoring native forests, some of the environmental impacts of this work is "sequestering carbon, protecting endangered wildlife (like the pueo, 'io, and 'nene), and improving watersheds to protect reefs from runoff," the nonprofitʻs website states.
Looking ahead, Kurisu is focused on growing partnerships, particularly with hospitality and retail sectors, as well as volunteers. She also shared a keiki book series is in the works, after positive feedback from the first.
Kurisu has served at the helm of the organization for three years but has been involved since the beginning. She says no one day looks the same and that her jobs can range from janitor to signing checks, making partner phone calls, and planting trees.
“I have to be able to everything. … We have an unbelievable team, and our success really goes to our partners and crews.”
HLRI was founded by two Honolulu investment bankers Jeffrey Dunster and Darrell Fox, who had previously launched for-profit Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods. Today, the nonprofit has about 20 staff members, Kurisu said, and its 2024 revenue was nearly $2.5 million, according to the year’s tax filings.
Check out Instagram for more information on current deals at LegacyForest.org:
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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
