In August 2023 a wind-driven wildfire tore through the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, and the famous banyan tree on Front Street, planted in 1873 to mark 50 years since the first Protestant mission there, was left scorched and standing in the ashes. A group of arborists, landscapers, and volunteers refused to give up on it, hauling in tanker trucks to soak it with water every few hours and feeding the tree with a specially mixed “compost tea.” About a month later, Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources shared video of bright green leaves sprouting among the dead branches, and root samples showed new roots shooting off underground. One of the volunteers called the tree a symbol of hope and a new beginning for everybody.
