King Kamehameha the Great’s koa forest once blanketed the slopes of Maunakea volcano on Hawaii island.
A century ago, the land was cleared for farming and ranching.
Koa only grows in Hawaii, and the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative is replanting it and rare sandalwood with the help of visitors.
The Grand Tour takes you on an off-road ride to see old koa groves that survived the widespread deforestation; the 450,000-plus trees that have been planted since the 1,200-acre project began in 2010; and spectacular views of the ocean, valleys and summit of Maunakea.
Participants can track their tree’s growth using a proprietary geo-tagging system.