Free Trees!

Mark Hanson, president of the nonprofit Hawaiian Reforestation Program in Pahoa, chose the State Capitol as a site to give away over 800 seedlings of kukui, kamani and milo trees this morning. Representatives and staffers turned out to hear Hanson speak and to receive small bundles of green seedlings.

One of the Legislature's biggest accomplishments this session was the passage of House Bill 226, which aims to curb statewide greenhouse gas emissions to below 1990 levels by the year 2020.

Wearing a t-shirt that read "You Can Stop Global Warming," Hanson spoke about the importance of planting trees to ward off the harmful effects carbon dioxide over-production.

Hanson, who is from the Big Island, gave away 5,000 oak trees and 110 cherry trees during Earth week on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

Our assistant communications director picked up a young kukui tree (right).