This year's Wiliwili Festival demonstrated just how much stronger the coalition for saving Hawaii's dryland forests is becoming. Vendors from a variety of different agencies and community groups gathered at the Waikoloa Stables to share information and to support the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative's efforts to promote native plant species and the protection of their habitats. HWMO joined the event as one of the vendors, promoting native species as a way to protect homes from wildfire, among other wildfire preparedness and safety tips. Droves of keiki swung by the booth to join us for Keiki Wildland Firefighter Photoshoots. Kids got to dress up as firefighters and were able to take home Polaroid photos of themselves in the gear.
Towards the end of the day, HWMO held a brief Wildfire Preparedness Workshop to delve into the contents of the Ready, Set, Go! Wildland Fire Action Guide.
A full day with plenty of visitors made this year's Wiliwili Festival an excellent outreach opportunity. Mahalo to our partners from Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative for inviting us and putting on the event.
Banner photo: Excited to be a future firefighter!