We all do it: “Wow, how do you get your tomatoes to grow so big?” “What do you do about whitefly?” Friends and neighbors are often the first ones we ask for advice on matters great and small. They’re right there, plus we might not know what professionals to ask or feel comfortable contacting them. “Master” programs such as Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists have taken this concept to the next level, training volunteers to reach far more people than formal extension programs can. The Hawai‘i Forest Stewards program does this on a more expansive scale, training forest landowners to be a trusted source of information for their peers on managing their forests. Make no mistake: forests need management.
The first class of Hawai‘i Forest Stewards, which graduated in August in Volcano on the Big Island, was amazed by what goes into taking care of a forest. The program, led by CTAHR extension forester J.B. Friday, covered such topics as Hawaiian natural history, invasive species, silviculture, growing koa, and agroforestry, as well as financial planning, conservation easements, and taxes. Norm Bezona spoke about ecotourism, Doug Cram taught landowners how to protect their forest lands from fire, Bobette Parsons taught about soil and water protection, and Donna Ball presented on Hawai‘i’s native species. A program highlight was a presentation on Hawaiian cultural perspectives on the forest and the land by Kamakani Dancil and Keala Kanaka‘ole.
The class themselves showed they were already ready to start helping each other, bringing together an array of experiences and skills ranging from tree planting and coffee farming to bamboo culture and invasive species management. Now they’re planning outreach events including farm and forest tours, organization of invasive species control efforts, and articles in the local media. The goal is not to advocate for one specific type of forest management, but to help landowners make informed decisions about their land. And with the Forest Stewards program slated to be an annual course, held around the Islands, that information is on the move.
For more information about Hawai‘i Forestry Extension, visit their website at
www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry
