Each year the conference features an optional tour of various Oahu landscapes and properties. This year the tour focuses on Honolulu’s urban core.
Park Lane
Park Lane is an unusual property as it covers over 7.3 acres of land steps away from world-class beaches, shopping. dining and entertainment. Its eight buildings are situated among verdant green courtyards and an impressive Great Lawn. Often described as a “high rise turned on its side” Park Lane retains the atmosphere of a private resort surrounded by magnificent estate homes.
There are many unusual spaces including Park Lane's namesake, inspired by New York City’s High Line, which is a private, art-lined walkway that spans the length of the exterior property. Extending more than 1,100 linear ft., the Park Lane features works of fine art and lush, tropical landscaping.
Park Lane's residences are surrounded by beautiful, lush landscapes and open spaces reminiscent of those that grace some of the world's most iconic homes. “The natural, tropical landscape is of the hallmarks of living in Hawaii", says Principal Landscape Architect Don Vita. “Within the context of this wonderful, terraced building, we made sure there were plenty of opportunities for indoor / outdoor spaces. Some of them are large and grand and others are small and intimate, but in every way, there’s an ease about it — an effortless transition.”
BWS Halawa Xeriscape Garden
A botanical garden with varieties of plants that conserve water. Tour also includes information on water-saving irrigation systems, mulches, and other xeriscape ideas.
Ala Moana Blvd. Pedestrian Bridge & Anchor Park
The grade-separated crossing spans six lanes of traffic and provides a safer connection between the vibrant Kaka‘ako community and the natural attractions of Ala Moana Beach Park and Kewalo Basin.
Construction on the $17.8 million elevated walkway was funded through the U.S. DOT’s competitive Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) transportation discretionary grant program and State Highway Funds at an 80-20 cost share. Victoria Ward Limited participated in the state cost share for the bridge construction by donating land and paying for the bridge design and environmental documentation. The landscape was designed by CA based VITA Planning and Landscape Architecture.
HDOA, Plant Quarantine Branch
The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Program began more than a hundred years ago when, in 1888, King David Kalakaua decreed that in order to protect the coffee industry in Hawai‘i, new coffee plants would not be allowed into the islands. Two years later, laws were enacted to prevent the introduction of injurious insect pests and plant diseases. In 1905, after 14 snakes were seized, the responsibility of preventing detrimental non-domestic animals from coming into the islands was added to the program in order to protect Hawai‘i’s people and the environment.
Today, Plant Quarantine is the State’s “First Line of Defense” in keeping pests out of the islands. Behind the scenes, they inspect everything from single-celled organisms used for research to exotic animals in the zoo; from flowers, fruits, and vegetables in the market to animal feed at the farm; from the clams and oysters in the restaurant to birds and fishes in the pet shop.
Kent Dumlao, Education Specialist, will be our host.
SCHEDULE
(times are approximate)
07:45am - Meet at Park Lane, Ala Moana Center (attendees will be emailed exact details)
09:00am - BWS Halawa Xeriscape Garden
11:30 am - Lunch @ Geobunga
01:30pm - DOA Quarantine Branch
2:30 pm - Ala Moana Blvd. Pedestrian Bridge & Anchor Park
4pm - Tour ends
Eligibility: This tour is organized for LICH members attending the 2025 Green Industry Conference and Tradeshow. Registrants who have an existing paid conference registration are eligible for the lowest, add-on rate. For those who are not attending the conference, the higher rate applies. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact us.