Protecting ʻŌhiʻa, Strengthening Community: Pūʻā at the 2025 ROD Outreach Workshop

On September 30th and October 1st the Pūʻā Foundation and the Punahoa Heritage Forest team were invited to present at the 2025 Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Outreach Workshop, hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR). The two-day gathering brought together scientists, educators, and community partners dedicated to protecting Hawaiʻi’s forests from the ongoing threats to ʻōhiʻa.

Representing Pūʻā and Punahoa Heritage Forest, Executive Director Toni Bissen and Projects Coordinator Cody Pacheco shared a presentation on the intersection of cultural restoration and ecological healing, followed by a table display during the “Show-n-Tell” session.

Pūʻā Foundation’s outreach display at the 2025 Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Workshop highlighted the Punahoa Heritage Forest, featuring native seedlings and ʻāina-based education materials.

Through the Punahoa Heritage Forest initiative, Pūʻā Foundation continues to bridge cultural practice, community engagement, and forest stewardship. Our presentation highlighted the planting of ROD-resistant ʻōhiʻa, ongoing community workdays, and curriculum development that uplifts both ʻāina-based learning and trauma-informed education.

Participants explored how the restoration of native forests—like Punahoa—can serve as living spaces for healing, connection, and the passing of ancestral knowledge.

Representatives from the ʻŌhiʻa Disease Resistance Program under Akaka Foundation discuss ongoing efforts to test and cultivate ʻōhiʻa trees with natural resistance to Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, strengthening the future of Hawaiʻi’s forests.