Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii Arborist Emeritus Steve Nimz — consid- ered an esteemed authority on all things arboreal, visited all of the trees in Lāhainā and identified those with a chance of surviving. Concrete that surrounded a number of trees was hammered away to give their roots the best chance to live. From those trees that may not survive, some in the community are determined to save their roots and see if a new tree can be grown from them. Thanks to Tillotson, Goodfellow Bros. (GBI) Rob Judge, construc- tion technology
manager/regional engineer on Maui, connected with Nimz. “[Tillotson] believed the banyan tree might be saved if there was prompt action,” Judge says.
Arborist Steve Nim examines the historic Lāhainā banyan tree following the devastating wildfires. PHOTOS COURTESY PROMETHEUS CONSTRUCTION / KATE CADY
the surrounding area,” says Judge. “GBI continues to shower the tree’s canopy with our water trucks daily to promote humid conditions, but the volume of water used was significantly reduced from the initial watering program. We have been told the tree’s current state can be likened to being in a coma after a trau- matic event. It is a wait-and-see situation. “The Lāhainā banyan is a spectacu- lar tree and a beloved icon of Lāhainā Town. We are proud that we could play a role alongside many other Maui contractors and community members who participated in this project. We sincerely hope the community’s efforts lead to the tree’s recovery.” Tree Solutions Hawaii, Nimz’s company, has taken charge and is the point of contact for all activities of watering and feeding the trees to avoid redundancies. “We are having a challenge getting
Rob Judge
“Goodfellow Bros. had other emer- gency response activities in Lāhainā, and we were happy to be a part of the effort to save the tree.” The GBI crew followed Nimz's watering instructions, first by washing soot and ash off the canopy and then initiating regular watering at the tree’s base. GBI soaked the ground around the tree with three loads from a 4,000- gallon water truck in the morning, and another three truckloads in the evening. “This continued until Aug. 18, when it was determined that enough mois- ture had been returned to the soil. Other contractors pruned the tree, aerated around the base and applied mulch to
water that is coming from the hydrant used in the water trucks tested for quality,” Nimz says. “If anyone can help with that it would be greatly appreciated. We are unable to get through to the Maui Board of Water Supply for information and testing.” Nimz thanks many of the organi- zations involved in the tree remedia- tion efforts. Along with GBI, Nimz mentioned: • Prometheus Construction for tree protection fencing and soil aeration to break up the soil and improve drainage • Peter Bunn, certified professional agronomist in Waimānalo, for analyz- ing recent soil samples from the area to compare with the analyses done 20 years ago • Preparation for soil inoculation with compost tea and amendments (8/24/2023) overseen by Naholowa‘a Earth Works • And a group of Maui arborists monitoring changes to the tree. If there ever were a message of hope for Lāhainā, the growth of new leaves on the tree is one to celebrate. Kumu Kapono Kamaunu, who attended neighboring Kamehameha School and played with friends among the tree trunks as a child, blesses crews and the area as they work to save the banyan tree.
Workers from Prometheus Construction install a protective retaining fence near the historic banyan tree in Lāhainā following August's devastating wildfires.
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