GET OUT THERE

Happy trails to you, on National Trails Day

Take a hike.

No really, it's a good idea — especially tomorrow, which is National Trails Day. The aim is to connect children and adults with nature so all can experience the great outdoors. On Oahu, the Na Ala Hele Trails and Access program and the Hawaii Nature Center are seeking volunteers to help open the Makiki Arboretum trail in the Makiki Forest recreation area from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow, installing signs and spreading gravel along the trail; call 973-9782 to help. Hikers will discover that the arboretum trail showcases trees planted long ago by Territorial foresters.

Living in Hawaii, blessed with pristine resources and weather, there's no reason to stay cooped up. So get out there. But be safe: For information on state-maintained forest hiking trails and hiking safety tips, go to www.hawaiitrails.org.

LET IT GROW

Sponsor your very own koa tree

Want to help with the reforestation of koa in Hawaii? Two isle businesses have come up with a way to do that, if you don't mind plunking down $59 for each tree planted. Donors receive certificates of planting and naming rights to their trees, which are being planted on the Big Island at a 2,700-acre plantation owned by Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, one of the sponsors of the program. The other sponsor is Martin & MacArthur, the well-known purveyor of koa wood furnishings, through whose five retail outlets on Oahu and Maui the program is being offered.

A company spokesman said yesterday that so far dozens of customers have paid to have trees planted in their names. The fee does not include harvesting rights, she added.