Kaulunani is Hawaiʻi’s official Urban & Community Forestry Program, housed within DLNR’s Division of Forestry & Wildlife. Supported by the USDA Forest Service, it promotes healthy, equitable urban trees through education, grants, technical training, advocacy, and partnerships. Its mission: support communities—especially those underserved and Native Hawaiian—in caring for and expanding their wao kanaka (trees where we live, learn, and play).
Tree care & planting projects: Schools and communities can apply for grants to plant, maintain, and care for trees, including Arbor Day events and shade trees for campuses .
Grants & planning: Use Kaulunani grant guidelines and the “Steps for Success” planting framework to propose and implement urban forestry projects.
Tree canopy analysis: Explore the Tree Canopy Viewer Hawaiʻi and STEW‑MAP tools for interactive mapping of tree cover and stewardship activities.
Community engagement: Volunteer at Arbor Day events, “Year of Our Community Forests” celebrations, and participate in advisory council meetings
Urban ecology & forestry: canopy function, energy savings, air quality, carbon sequestration
Environmental justice & equity: focusing on underserved and Native Hawaiian communities
Project planning: grant writing, community outreach, leadership, and volunteer management
GIS and data literacy: mapping canopy cover, analyzing spatial equity, performing trend assessments
