Leeward group to plant seeds of pride

By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau

WAI'ANAE — A group of Leeward residents see the Wai'anae Coast as one of the most beautiful places on Earth and has formed a beautification group to help others see it from their perspective.

	At a glance
•	Who: Ho'onani Mau
•	What: First membership meeting
•	When: Potluck at 6:30 p.m., meeting begins at 7 p.m. June 26
•	Where: Wai'anae Neighborhood Community Center

Ho'onani Mau, which translates as "constantly beautifying," consists of about 25 residents, community and business leaders and Hawaiian cultural practitioners volunteering their time to improve the physical environment by creating programs that address beautification.

"Basically that means plants," said interim president Georgette "Jo" Jordan. "We have a vision of enhancing the look and improving the community itself."

At its first general membership meeting, the new, nonprofit organization will select projects to help beautify areas along the coastline.

For about a year, members have been raising plants at a nursery in Wai'anae in preparation for the group's formation. The starter nursery is growing kokio ke'oke'o (native white hibiscus) pohu'ehu'e (beach morning glory), red and green ti, dracaena (money tree), plumeria, ohai ali'i, coconut and Manila palms.

"We have plants anywhere from seedlings up to a couple feet tall," Jordan said.

Rezentes said Ho'onani Mau is a continuation of previous community efforts.

"I noticed that when the (city's) Ulehawa Beach Park improvement project went in, the residents on the mauka side of Farrington Highway started cleaning up their property. You could see the carry-over improvements," Rezentes said. "There were mounds of trash taken out of there. The intent is that if you go ahead and do start doing more of those projects, people become proud of what they are seeing. Then it will start cascading. We are trying to change the way people perceive the community they live in. We want them to have that pride."

Ho'onani Mau has filed its trade name with the state and registered as a nonprofit organization. The group has also filed documents with the federal government, making it eligible to apply for grants.

Projects are planned from Kahe Point to Ka'ena Point and from the Wai'anae mountains to the beach, including improvements at schools, beach parks, businesses and the boat harbor.

"We want all types of people, in the nursery, to dig holes, even just share ideas," Jordan said. "We can't sit and wait for the government to do things for us. It can take years."

Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Barbers Point, Makaha), said volunteer groups make a real difference in their communities.

"I have believed ever since I was a little kid that if you get the community to invest their hard work, chances are projects will be preserved a lot longer," Hanabusa said.

"I think it is the greatest statement for the people of the coast to know that we have fellow citizens that care enough to give up their weekends to beautify the area," she said. "It's a wonderful thing."