Conservation of the threatened coastal forests of Maui

Conservation of the threatened coastal Pandanus forests of East Maui in Hawaii

Partner: National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG)
Years: 2023-2026

The long-term vision of this project is to conserve East Maui populations of the nine targeted threatened trees, along with 62 acres of their largest remaining Hawaiian coastal pandanus forest habitat. The project represents a significant step towards this goal by establishing the first protected area for these species on Maui.

Maui is the second largest island in the state of Hawai’i. Maui is biologically diverse and characterised by a high degree of endemism in both flora and fauna, with more than 10,000 species found nowhere else on earth.
Focusing on the largest remaining coastal pandanus forests in Hawaiʻi, the project simultaneously supports the conservation of 62 hectares of a unique threatened ecosystem and nine threatened trees. In addition, two Critically Endangered shrubs and three other threatened taxa also benefit from this project. The goals are achieved through five key objectives:
1) preparing the new reserve for outplanting,
2) sourcing seeds from nearby areas,
3) propagating and outplanting a total of 625 target plants,
4) identifying and mitigating threats, and
5) establishing systematic monitoring, maintenance and rare species protection plans for the long-term sustainability of the restoration project. Local community involvement and a conference presentation ensure support and sharing of project objectives, results and lessons learned.