Nature reclaiming Lahaina even after 96% of trees lost in fire

As of March 15, 2024, the US Army Corps of Engineers said 305 properties have been cleared in Lahaina, and over 75 homes have been the given the okay to start rebuilding.
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[@mikes_in_paradise78]

Thank you Duane Sparkman and crew for what you do...keep on saving nature and instilling life into Lahaina. Support local you guys....support and pour in your donations to help Duane plant trees and help his staff.

[@myreallife6386]

This all brings me to tears.

[@melissareid640]

Praying for you all to find beauty, hope, and healing amidst such devastation. Thankful that this young man found a moment to smile.

[@Sharyk808]

Fantastic!!! The power that be protected the cemetery and trees🤙🏼🌺

[@evilsharkey8954]

But not the people who burned alive

[@bup4523]

Awesome! 🌱🌱🌱🌴🌴🌴

[@susanhassett2893]

Change the priorities for water recharge!! 21st century good plans.. I lost my entire ranch property 2020 LNU fire CA. I had certain varieties of trees that made it back and others that did not. Walnuts and olives came back. Any stone fruits that I had did not. The olives come from the ground and it sounds like that's what the ulus are doing! It's also important to realize that over time, the trees' gigantic, sophisticated, filtration system will take care of the soil around the trees. It will take time but it will happen. Well done Lahaina! There will be light at the end of this tunnel :-) prayers to you and all of your families, all of your plants and animals and the people that are working hard to recharge your area.

[@jusbamathy1355]

😭This makes me so happy! Still get chance 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽

[@AK2HI]

Perfect example, if you just leave nature alone it has a way to bounce back, when humans "know whats best" it usually ends in disaster

[@QueenBDreamwalker]

Nature can ReClaim herself ~ We need to be in Harmony with her ReCovery 💜🌱🌴💧🌎

[@adventurecreations3214]

Like a Phoenix. Much love to Lahaina.

[@jenandrade8231]

Let Nature take it's course and let her be!

[@bup4523]

Love how haapy and excited they are about this growth!

[@barkeyes8592]

Who decides which properties get cleared of fire debris first? Who decided that the grounds are contaminated more than any other fire before? Towns in California burned completely down and the people who lost everything weren't treated as bad as the residents in Lahaina. They werent restricted from cleaning up their properties or businesses. Yes they had to wait until the fire dept cleared the dangers and all that but damn . 😮

[@rico8089]

It's the same in Lahaina. I have friends who were quick to get their insurance claims field and are already rebuilding.

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

Well I call BS on that! I lost my home in Santa Barbara and I went through the same hell you guys are going through. I got screwed left and right and it took four years for me to rebuild

[@charonstyxferryman]

E.g. Asbests can put a property very high on the list, because asbestos is so toxic.

[@m.c.o.3068]

A thought:, dry conditions, and drought as a problem: The coastal location networked with an ocean water hydrant system might be helpful.

[@charonstyxferryman]

You has no idea how corrosive the ocean is. A fire truck's pumps are a complete write off if they use sea water. Separate water pipes for fire hydrants and several big water towers connected to it could be a good idea.

[@hankakah4180]

The rebuilding of Lahaina MUST include water management systems, reduced water usage toilets, and irrigation through the underground drip system and not sprinkler systems. The sprinkler systems have more runoff and evaporation. Plants should be more native species and less decorative and invasive. The native species are more water efficient for soil and weather patterns. Private homes should not be allowed to have swimming pools in this area, and instead water for each house should have underground storage reservoirs linked to fire sprinklers in each room, homes should be built farther apart, and construction of new homes should be built with more fire resistant materials. Homes should be built on cement pillars above ground to mitigate possible tsunami waves while the lower area can be used for parked cars, alleviating parking on the streets. The water usage of canals must not be diverted away by properties upland. They need to use only runoff over their properties. Like Honolulu shows us, TOO many NEW Condominium towers being built, too many new housing developments and subdivisions only proves two things, DEVELOPERS are making a fortune, they have NO worries about the people who BUY THERE and what THEIR water bills will be in the future, The second reality is how much water is tied up in every pipe, toilet, and sewage system for each project! Add private homes with swimming pools and jacuzzi, toilets, and watering their lawns. Not everyone in Hawaii is rich, and if your water bills are up, you can see why!

[@tammyellett-kahalekai4559]

It is supposed to be there. Let the water stay!

[@nikibeldin6881]

What was meant for evil can be turned for good 🙏🙏🙏

[@jorgej5916]

hey, nature do/will growth endlessly if human willing to leave them alone

[@tracyalan7201]

Interesting about the growth of the plants. The lawsuit on Bishop Estate and the land management of the older plantation fields with the wild grasses. If the grass were managed/cut back/burned as some might feel would have been done, wouldn't that same land have been ripe for soil erosion if nothing were keeping the soil from being blown away? Ground cover for the old plantation fields would be exposed, especially on the leeward/central areas not getting sufficient rainfall. If native forests existed before the plantation days, wouldn't they be subject to wildfires that occur in these days of climate change? I live Leeward Oahu and I remember the days of the lush fields past Waipahu. I remember having blackened ashes flying near my residence on the lanai, which I knew were burning sugar cane fields somewhere. I also remember how much the iron rich soil uncovered from tractors and backhoes blowing over the properties/homes/cars covering them on homes/interiors with windows before air conditioning and staining/getting everywhere. We exchanged the agriculture fields for fallow fields or homes, with little thought about the economics and replacement costs of our actions leaving it for someone else to create solutions for issues that we pretend don't exist, but they do. We just pretend they don't and it's someone else's concern. Who's at greater response, the business, the government or the people pretending it doesn't exist?

[@shaggybreeks]

The sugar plantation developed a network of irrigation ditches, which led to the area being covered in green, almost like a lawn when seen from above. When they stopped growing sugar, all that irrigation infrastructure just went to waste. They simply abandoned the fields to invasive weeds, in a dry climate, without water.

[@The.Hawaiian.Kingdom]

@@shaggybreeks When the plantations stopped, the plantation owners still controlled the water, pumping it out of Lāhainā (& other areas) to the plantation owned reservoir, and then the plantation became the water company, selling water to people that they were diverting water FROM in the first place. Hawaiians have native tenant rights, amongst those rights is free access to water, water that the “state” allowed plantations to divert. The plantations excuse was that they weren’t charging for water, they were charging to deliver water to peoples homes via their pipes lol. After the plantations closed, cattle ranchers from the states moved in and they removed native plants to replace them with dry grasses for their cattle to graze on, because it was expensive to import hay and feed for their cattle. When the cattle ranches closed, they left behind these invasive dry grasses that you see today. So essentially settler colonization is partly to blame for the Lāhainā fire. Partly from plantation owners diverting water and partly from cattle ranchers replacing native foliage with dry grasses. Prior to settler colonization, Lāhainā was famously green and lush.

[@The.Hawaiian.Kingdom]

Prior to settler colonization Lāhainā had what’s known as natural fire barriers, in other words areas of lush green native plants, namely ‘ulu in the case of Lāhainā. Kaua’ula valley is known for it winds, they come up through the valley from the other side of the island at ‘Īao, come over the mountain, get trapped in the valley and come blasting out straight into Lāhainā, it’s why wind + fire has = wildfires ever since the native plants were removed. The ‘ulu trees used to be a barrier from the wind and in the case of fires, they didn’t get out of control because it was green and lush back then.

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

And let's not forget the islands rely on one massive cargo ship loaded full of oil every single day! One a day!!

[@susanhassett2893]

We can do this, we can change the "modern/greedy" old ways and make/restore more ecologically sound, thoughtful planning.

[@The.Hawaiian.Kingdom]

Isn’t it amazing how things start growing again when the water stops being diverted?! Interestingly, the water company was started by the old plantation after crops weren’t selling. They diverted from from aboriginal native Hawaiians who had (& continue to have) legal rights to water & then after diverting our water away from us for plantation crops, they now sell us our own water that they’re diverting from us, back to us lol. 🙄

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

And don't forget that you guys need one massive cargo ship loaded full of oil every single day! It's so funny how people think they are in touch with nature out there yet you guys are a bunch of massive oil pigs.

[@Waynes-xt9gr]

its wierd how Oahu has BWS to cover the entire Oahu island, yet.....when its Maui, it goes WAY political!!!

[@Waynes-xt9gr]

I hope these arborists do some technical research as to WHY the birds are NOT eating these fruits (nature KNOWS...birds know what happened).

[@Scarhead_Ed]

God 🖤

[@leelandglover7777]

Nothing stops nature.

[@redebatcheller5761]

Yeah, that's Hawaii for you! Americans all know one word in Hawaiian: Aloha -- and that isn't actually a native-based word. (Notice how much it looks and sounds like "Hello"?) I suggest ALL Americans add a real Hawaiian word to their vocabulary: Mahalo -- and turn to God to say thanks for bringing this island land back . . .

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

And make sure that you say Mahalo to that massive cargo ship that is loaded to the hilt with oil! Because you guys consume one cargo ship full of oil every single day! Bunch of oil pigs acting like they're all cool in touch with nature and Hawaiian.

[@heyadoraa]

Um....Who's going to tell this guy that Hawaii is part of the USA therefore people there are considered Americans....

[@redebatcheller5761]

@@heyadoraa Good question. How brave are you? For that matter, how many people even think in terms of American?

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

"Turn to God" 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@808-PFH-Kanaka-Rights]

the aina truly does find a way. now trong community of hawai'i, lets help it shall we? lets use this to our andvantage to restore what was here that is defined only to these islands. it's a REV-ULU-TION FOLKS. HELP DIS AINA 🤙🤙🤙 and we should figure out what is toxic in the fruits

[@Sharyk808]

They need to mark the plants so people know do not eat the fruits for 2 1/2yrs. The homeless or kids might pick the fruits and eat it.

[@808-PFH-Kanaka-Rights]

definitely!!!@@Sharyk808

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

🙄

[@808-PFH-Kanaka-Rights]

what ah? you no think we can do it. if you don't think that your fine, dats not how the rest of us gon' think though@@user-ke9yk5qp3u

[@808-PFH-Kanaka-Rights]

whhat? what's the matter?@@user-ke9yk5qp3u

[@hereandnow8578]

the animals wont eat the fruit over there? that strange i hope it not from chemicals

[@Waynes-xt9gr]

as a kammaina I would love to take a papaya or banana back to Oahu and give it to the Agriculture Dept to know whats inside that fruits.......BUT, cant do it because of the strict laws when adding that to your luggage and dont declare it or worse, hide it on checked luggage and that TSA WILL bust you!

[@Josephine-sm2db]

Take samples of those trees, find out who attacked it and what they used to poison those trees.

[@user-mf9kw1yi5p]

FJB

[@bullyboy131]

Praise Jesus!

[@leelandglover7777]

That's what it supposed to do

[@gersonhay984]

Put it all back to When the Kings live Their. Ponds.!!!!

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

Yes and we can stop all the oil that shows up, one massive sea cargo ship every single day!

[@TheOtherKine]

Just imagine if HUMANS weren't there LMAO

[@atumra7285]

And so is Oprah..reclaiming

[@RenitaB.B.]

"Nature is able to reclaim itself." "Do not eat fruits for at least 2 years."

[@evilsharkey8954]

There’s probably a lot of toxins in the soil and water from all the burned structures and vehicles. It will take a while for bioremediation to clean that up

[@dapocho]

Nothing that toxic out there. All propaganda lies

[@David-wk6md]

THEY'RE NOT REAL PLANTS MAN THEY'RE ROBOTS THEY'RE RECORDING EVERYTHING MAN 😂

[@dapocho]

Idk man I work out there everyday and that banyan tree is dead. Stop telling lies. I see it EVERYDAY. And it’s black as can be with no life

[@anagonyaowusu3119]

No ones “telling lies” because as sad as it is, the banyan tree isnt the only tree there…

[@hebneh]

If you’re referring to the really huge banyan - no, it is not dead. There’s at least one photo in this story of this guy standing under the part of the tree that’s resprouted.

[@Cio-kc1sk]

The natives should be the ones who claim the land back besides Mother Nature.