July 2025

Forest recovery after removing feral sheep and cattle

It's rainy season in South Kona, and that means an abundance of moisture for the newly recovering forest that was fenced off in June 2024. Already, new seedlings are popping up everywhere. In many places, the native forest just needs a little protection to begin regenerating.

June 2025

Siglo Kapoaula keeps growing

Every year, we collect images of Siglo Kapoaula with a drone to record the development of the koa native forest. It still surprises us to see how quickly we can change the landscape from a grassland to an ecologically rich native forest. The Siglo Kapoaula project began its first planting in June 2021, and it’s clear from the image just how much progress we’ve made.

May 2025

It takes a village at Siglo Kapoaula

Once again, we had a good turnout for our annual tree planting this year. Musicians Jerry and Rose Broughton of Laupāhoehoe joined us for a second year, and the great weather allowed us to plant 170 koa, ʻōhiʻa, and aʻaliʻi trees.

This is a yearly event that brings our community together, and if you’re interested in getting involved, we’d love to have you! Write to us at info@siglotonewoods.com and we’ll let you know when our next community planting event comes up!

April 2025

Resch & 3 bandsaw is up and running at Pacific RimTonewoods

Our sister company, Pacific Rim Tonewoods, has installed their Resch & 3 bandsaw and edger and begun to cut instrument wood for guitar makers. The new sawmill uses modern technologies to efficiently and accurately mill wood at scale, and provides ergonomic advantages for employees operating the saw. This sawmill is identical to the one purchased for Siglo Tonewoods and will provide a learning experience for when we start operation of our mill in Hawai'i.

MArch 2025

Testing our tropical (Shamel) ash

In March, we felled a representative tropical ash tree from our Siglo Kapouaula forest site, to test the use of ash for wooden bowl making at Pacific Rim Tonewoods in Concrete, Washington. The same species is known in California as Shamel ash, and has been used by Taylor Guitars in their urban wood guitar series. Our goal is to utilize this common Hawaiʻi tree in our sawmill in future years.

February 2025

New data shows that forest protection works

The annual vegetation monitoring results from the summer of 2024 proves that forest protection works. From one of our projects in South Kona, we now have sufficient data to confidently state that the forest is regenerating well after being protected from feral ungulates since 2019. Koa has seen the most spectacular rise, as expected, since we both supported existing growth and planted new trees. Other keystone native species – ʻōhiʻa, olapa, pilo, and aʻaliʻi – also saw important gains in frequency. The bottom line? Protecting the native forests of Hawaiʻi from ungulates is the most important step toward effective regeneration.

January 2025

Aloha to our 1210e John Deere log forwarder

After eight years of reliable service, we’re retiring our 1210E John Deere log forwarder. The forwarder has proven to be an essential machine for our needs, with a hauling capacity of 12- metric tons (26,000 lbs) and approximately 2,200 board feet of logs. However, the lift capacity and smaller hauling capacity proved limiting, so we recently took delivery of a 1910e John Deere log forwarder from Scotland. This one has a much higher lift capacity in the arm, plus a 19-metric ton payload (3,500 board feet). Both will prove helpful in reducing our harvest costs.

Forwarders are the most environmentally friendly method for transporting logs out of the forest using ground methods. A forwarder avoids dragging the logs, which keeps the logs clean while preserving the topsoil. To minimize damage from forest harvesting, we practice reduced-impact logging (RIL) in all of our operations.

December 2024

Bowlmaking with Koa

Our friend and frequent buyer of craftwood, Rick Loos, gave us this koa bowl made from one of the koa logs from Keālia. This bowl is the smallest of two concentric nested bowls that Rick turned in his workshop. What’s interesting here is that the spalting (fungus) adds color and complexity to the otherwise plain grain.

November 2024

First batch of koa seedlings from our nursery

This year, we decided to produce some of our own koa seedlings at our nursery in Waimea. We are grateful for the experience and help of Michelle Hanano, who has the greenest thumb in town! This year we expect to produce about 50% of our needs for the 2025 planting cycle, giving us 3,000 koa seedlings to work with.

October 2024

New bandsaw and edger on the way

In early October, we visited the Resch & 3 factory in Bolzano, Italy, to see the production of the bandsaw and edger combo we purchased for use in Hawaiʻi. The Resch & 3 facility is located in the very northern part of Italy, where the worker-owned business produces one of the best 48” band sawmill of its type. This new bandsaw will allow Siglo to mill wood locally, keeping more value, and jobs, in the local Hawaiian economy.

August 2024

Superior seed collection and disease resistance

In our never-ending quest to source the absolute best koa seed, we are once again collecting seeds throughout Windward Hawaiʻi Island. All these seeds are sent to Hawaiʻi Agriculture Research Center (HARC), and once they become seedlings, are tested for koa wilt resistance. Trees with more than 60% resistance to the disease will then be incorporated into our next seed orchard. With this program, we’re hoping to increase the quantity and quality of koa trees available in Hawaiʻi.

July 2024

First tree planting at Keālia

Siglo Tonewoods hosted Huliauapaʻa Wahi Kūpuna interns in the upland forest of Keālia. During the visit, we collectively planted the first 40 ʻōhiʻa seedlings within the fully fenced 800-acre Big Hill management unit. The forest, which has been free of destructive feral ungulates (hooved animals) since June of 2024, is now beginning its recovery. Mahalo to the Wahi Kūpuna interns and Huliauapaʻa for a great day in the forest!

June 2024

Fuller rose beetle infestation

Every project has its challenges, and Kapoaula is no different. We’ve been tracking a defoliating pest on our young koa trees since the fall of 2023. After months of testing and inspections, we've identified an outbreak of the Fuller rose beetle (Naupactus cervinus), a significant pest in orchards and gardens, and known to affect koa.

The rose beetle is impacting our 2023 and 2024 planted stands, with the outbreak more pronounced on trees with juvenile foliage. Koa trees that have switched to phyllodes appear unaffected. We still don’t know if this is a passing infestation, or something we’ll need to manage for years to come.

Siglo has initiated a program of Integrated Pest Management, modifying the habitat to reduce infestations by accelerating our weed control, supported by the judicious use of an insect control agent.

MAY 2025 UPDATE: Quick action minimized the impact of the rose beetles on the project. The infestation has abated, as the habitat modification and insect control measures have successfully stemmed the damage to the young koa trees. In the worst-hit areas, we lost 30% of the trees, or 350 seedlings, which we will replant in June 2025.

May 2024

Community forest planting at Kapoaula

In conjunction with Earth Month, Forest Solutions and Siglo Tonewoods hosted a community engagement event on May 4th at the Siglo community forest at Kapoaula. Siglo Tonewoods and Forest Solutions led 25 volunteers from diverse associations to transform the grassy landscape into a vibrant community forest, visible from the nearby county road. Notably, a group of students from Parker Hawaiʻi School, along with the Parker Eco Club and Guy Cellier, founder of Forest Solutions, pitched in to help out. Live music from Jerry and Rose Broughton of Laupāhoehoe added to the festive atmosphere.

April 2024

Our largest planting yet, more trees for the future

We planted 39.2 acres of native forest in February and March 2024. Of these, 35 acres are part of the Climate Smart Commodities project, and 4.2 acres are part of the Forest Stewardship program with the State of Hawaiʻi. This is our largest planting thus far and the first time when most of the intended pioneer species were available to plant concurrently with the koa trees.

March is the rainiest month at Kapoaula, and this year was no exception. We benefitted from over 5 inches of rain in March, and it is still raining in April. The abundant moisture helped establish the seedlings before the warm and dry months of July to September. Seedlings planted in 2024, by species:

• 8,316 Koa
• 1,200 Aʻaliʻi
• 700 ʻŌhiʻa
• 300 ʻŪlei
• 100 Kōlea
• 10,170 Total

February 2024

Climate Smart Commodities Grant

Siglo Tonewoods is excited to announce that it has entered into a three-year agreement from 2024 through 2027 to plant 100 acres of koa and mixed native species. The Climate Smart Commodities program provides a fixed cost share incentive for a fully planted and pruned acre. Siglo Tonewoods will contribute the balance of the establishment costs in addition to a fenced and ungulate-free site for tree planting.

January 2024

Supporting Forest Recovery Economy

Siglo Tonewoods spent almost $100,000 in the second half of 2023 to plant trees at Kapoaula. The vast majority, approximately 93%, was invested with local contractors and workers performing green jobs. Our Hawaiʻi-based contractors and partners include:

• • Forest Solutions Inc
• • Native Nursery LLC
• • Puʻu Pa Gardens LLC
• • ‘Aina Improvements LLC
• • Hawaii Game Management LLC
• • Crop Nutrient Solutions Inc
• • Lau Ranch LLC

The State of Hawaii, via the Forest Stewardship program, provides cost share support and thus indirectly supports local small businesses in green jobs. While the Siglo projects are significant, we are not alone in recovering native forests in Hawaiʻi and supporting green jobs and the economy. The pace of forest recovery in Hawaiʻi has increased to its highest level ever. This change is taking place primarily on private lands with support from various governmental assistance programs. We are proud to be a part of this change.

December 2023

Seed Orchard and Collection

Koa seed collection took center stage in 2023; the Siglo Kapoaula seed orchard began producing seeds just after its second year! In addition, we continued our now regular summer wilt-resistant collections from top quality trees throughout Hawaiʻi Island. We have invested in seed processing tools to make cataloging collected seeds more efficient and reliable. In 2023, we collected 800 grams of koa seed from the orchard, equivalent to about 4,500 seedlings. Half of these seeds will go to the Hawaiʻi Agriculture Research Center, our partner in this orchard.

October 2023

Expanding our Planting

August and September were active months at Siglo Kapoaula. We wrapped up our annual native seedling planting for the year with an additional 13.2 acres. This brings the total planted area in 2023 to 33.5 acres – our largest planting area to date. We expect to increase seedling diversity and acreage in 2024. Planting summary for 2023:

• • 9,500 koa seedlings
• • 120 ōhiʻa seedlings
• • 172 pilo, kōlea, and aʻalii seedlings

July 2023

Siglo Kapoaula - Working with Partners

Siglo Tonewoods has had great success working together with Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC) for the seedlings, and Forest Solutions for efficient site preparation. This partnership enabled us to plant 26 acres more than originally anticipated, bringing the total for this year to 39 acres and 7,800 seedlings.

We are wrapping up our annual planting at Siglo Kapoaula this month, and have picked our first two seed pods from the 2021 progeny trial. These are the first of many disease-resistant seeds we expect to produce over the years to come.

June 2023

Forest recovery – Fencing and Weeding

In our other South Kona project, Siglo has completed nearly 2.4 miles of fencing to protect an additional 800 acres of degraded native forest. We expect to fully enclose the area in the coming months, and begin reducing the grazing animals within. This initiative begins the long journey toward forest recovery projects in South Kona that began in 2017.

Meanwhile, in Hōnaunau, which is 1,400 acres of recovering native forest, we keep working to reduce the incipient weed populations. Approximately 1,000 acres, or 75% of the project, have been treated for invasive weed species, including strawberry guava, ginger, banana poka and tropical ash.

May 2023

Recovery Underway After 6 Years of Forest Management

In our older forest stewardship project, 1,400 acres continue to regenerate quickly now that the grazing animals have been excluded. In May we continued to manage the weed population; now approximately 1,000 acres, or 75% of the project, has been treated. We expect 1,000 plus seedlings from the nearby Kealakekua Forest Nursery in July 2023. These seedlings were produced with seeds from the very best trees within the project, enhancing future forest productivity and vitality.

January 2023

Plant Check at Maui Native Nursery

In preparation for the upcoming planting season, it is important to check in with the grower to ascertain when the seedlings will be ready and optimal for planting.

Nick Koch visited Maui Native Nursery, counting out 2,340 wilt-resistant koa seedlings that were ready for shipment to the Siglo Holding Nursery near the Kapoaula planting site. Nick also had a chance to look over the 1,000 Cook pine being grown for the final segments of the windbreak planting.

September 2022

Koa Seed Collecting with Forest Solutions

To identify candidate mother trees, Forest Solutions closely followed the procedure established in 2021 with the Hōnaunau Conservation Area koa seed collection. In areas with abundant koa trees at low elevations and with landowner permission, Forest Solutions set up transects throughout accessible areas of the properties, spaced about 100 meters from each other to locate candidate trees for seed collection. Selected trees are straighter with fewer branches, are healthy and produce seeds.

For the summer of 2022 effort, 81 new koa trees (those not previously screened for disease resistance) across nine different sites were considered, of which 54 trees had seed collected for disease resistance screening. Koa seeds were cleaned by Kealakekua Forest Nursery, managed by Forest Solutions. For each mother tree, a subset of approximately 100 seeds were sent to the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC) for disease screening. The remaining seed was dried and packaged for short‐term storage separated by mother tree. These will serve as accessions in an upcoming disease resistant seed orchard.

April 2022

Phase 2 Progeny Tests

At Siglo Kapaoula, we extended our research to include Phase 2 of a series of long-term progeny tests.

These pedigreed seedlings are from the best families identified in the most recent round of disease testing at Hawaii Agriculture Research Centre (HARC) and collections from the windward (east) side of Hawai'i Island. Data collected from these test trees will be used to design our next seed orchard in 2025.

We also established a short-term “site preparation" trial to compare several soil tilling, weed control, and fertilization options. This will be used to optimize seedling survival and growth rates at Siglo Kapaoula and other sites. It is also intended as a demonstration of site preparation techniques.

March 2022

Planted 12,500 Windbreak Trees

Our site has excellent soil, adequate rain, and great solar exposure, but it is also very windy. Young koa trees are easily damaged by the gusty winds we get on this site. Our normal daytime winds are 15-20 miles per hour with gusts to 25 mph.

To protect the new koa from harsh winds, we've planted thousands of fast-growing trees three rows deep along 8 miles of windbreak. We picked trees that are not invasive, are moderately fast growing and display either thick crowns or superior height – or both. These include eucalyptus that are known for their wood quality: Eucalyptus nitens, Eucalyptus fastigata, Eucalyptus dunii and Eucalyptus regnans. Evergreen species include Mexican cypress (Cupressus lusitanica), Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris), podocarpus (Podocarpus elongatus), and coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens).

While wood production is not the main objective, we did consider the eventual use of these trees as part of the program.

January 2022

Stewardship Conservation Project

Siglo began field work on a 5,200-acre stewardship conservation project in South Kona. Our first step in conserving the forest will be installing a 6-foot tall fence that is 5 miles long. This fence will protect about 800 acres of montane native forest habitat, and keep out the feral cattle, sheep and pigs.

Our long-term goal is to regenerate this project area over the next 25 years; there is almost no koa regeneration due to over 100 years of active grazing. When our work is complete, there should be a diverse native forest, free of predatory animals and with a much-diminished weed presence. We estimate that there will be a 10-fold increase in the koa volume on the property at the end of the project in 25 years.

December 2021

Wilt Resistance Testing on Seedlings

Working again with our partners at the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC), we began a testing program on koa seedlings for genetic resistance to wilt disease.

Koa wilt disease was introduced into Hawai'i around 1980, and is now problematic throughout the islands at elevations below 2,500 feet ASL. As much as 80% of koa planted at less than 2,500 feet in elevation will eventually die from wilt, which usually makes its appearance at around the 4th to 7th year of growth.

Siglo Tonewoods is addressing the problem by working with HARC to evaluate low-elevation koa forests, collect seeds and expose and test the seedlings for genetic resistance to the disease. Seedlings from the wilt-resistant families will then be planted in a series of long-term progeny tests to find the most resistant and best performing koa tree to use in future seed orchards.

November 2021

Forest Stewardship License in South Kona

Siglo began work on a new forest stewardship license in South Kona. The initial project will protect 800 acres within the first 5 years, continuing on to regenerate most of the 5,200-acre parcel over a planned period of 25 years.

August 2021

Seed Selection Program Begins

To help reforest Hawai'i with the best quality and disease-resistant koa trees, Siglo began an island-wide seed selection and testing program to expand on the pioneering work done by the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC).

We evaluated thousands of koa trees in approximately 2,000 acres of native forests. Tree climbers were used to collect seeds from the best 42 of those ‘plus’ trees. Each tree was numbered and mapped to allow us to revisit in a future collection. About 100 seeds from each “mother tree” were sent to HARC for disease testing. Under laboratory conditions, the saplings were exposed to a heavy dose of spores from the fungus that causes koa wilt disease. New seedlings from the very best survivors of those families will be used to create future orchards.

May 2021

Planted 20 Acres of Koa Forest

The State Board of Land and Natural Resources approved and financially supported Siglo's 10-year forest management plan. Over the next decade we plan to reforest 565 acres of the property with a mix of koa and other native forest species. The first potential harvest will take place around 2050, assuming all goes to plan!

The final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact can be found here.

May 2021

Planting our First Seed Orchard at Siglo Kapoaula

Siglo collaborated with Hawaii Agriculture Research Centre (HARC) to establish a 1,600-tree provenance trial and seed orchard that will produce seeds for future reforestation projects for Siglo and our neighbors. This is the largest provenance and seed orchard in the State of Hawai'i and we hope to establish several more.

We planted pedigreed seedlings with the best disease resistance that HARC had available; that population should yield both Siglo Tonewoods and HARC large quantities of elite seed by about 2026, perhaps sooner. Through research and classic tree improvement, we are restoring koa across many environments throughout Hawai'i.

March 2021

Siglo Partners with Nicholas Koch

Nick Koch, a forester with extensive experience in managing Hawai'iʻs forests, became a partner with Siglo.

With 21 years of experience practicing forestry in Hawai'i, Nick is deeply invested in restoring, augmenting and improving the financial viability of Hawai'i’s native tropical forests.

At Siglo, we believe that by aligning the interests of the forest industry, landowners and the environment, our current generation can benefit from these forests, while passing on an improved forest resource for the next generation.

August 2020

Removing Ungulates from South Kona Forest

Now that there is a strong fence surrounding our initial project in South Kona, Siglo has begun to remove the remaining feral animals from the forest. In all, 16 cattle and 74 sheep were driven from the fence unit. With the grazing animals gone, koa has begun to regenerate throughout the forest.

Summer 2020

Site Construction and Improvement

We began construction of a warehouse at Siglo Kapaoula and plan to use this site for a Hawai'i-based sawmill and wood drying operation. The goal is to cut koa and other locally grown hardwoods.

The Siglo mill and warehouse will provide technical and support jobs for the community. As well, the facility should help meet the demand for local wood, especially for koa wood, which is in short supply. Having the mill on Hawai'i Island also means that the offcuts produced by milling wood will remain in Hawai'i, rather than needing to be shipped to the continental US.

Sept 2019

Research Begins on Tree Improvement

For the purpose of koa tree improvement and seed production, Siglo has engaged Dan Cress, quantitative geneticist and owner of Regenetics. Our first task is to install a well designed progeny trial and seed orchard.

Together with the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC), Dan is assisting us in the design and installation of a series of experiments that will optimize the success of our seed production and reforestation programs.

As always, we hope to develop models for successful koa reforestation and afforestation at Siglo Kapoaula and beyond, and to inspire our friends, neighbors and fellow landowners to plant native forests for the future.

January 2018

Land Acquisition for Koa Planting

With an eye to the future of sourcing koa wood, Bob Taylor purchased 565 acres of land at Kapaoula, between Waimea and Honoka'a on Hawai'i Island.

Once a legendary koa forest, this area had slowly become grassland after years of cattle grazing. The land will be reforested with koa and koa-‘ōhi’a native forest, and become the primary site for koa seed orchard planting, as well as our planned sawmill.

July 2017

A Market for Koa Veneer

Sliced koa veneer for guitar backs and sides has become almost unavailable. Siglo Tonewoods embarked on a project to solve this dilemma.

Veneer makes more efficient use of valuable koa wood, allowing for better utilization and affordability in musical instruments. We determined how to prepare logs for veneer, and arranged to have custom slicing done. The logs were not typical dimensions for veneer slicers, so it initially took some convincing. Now, the production of koa veneer has become a profitable business for Siglo, while ensuring that the koa veneer needs for Taylor Guitars, a primary user of koa, can be met.

March 2017

Forest Restoration at Honaunau

A 5-year forest stewardship conservation agreement was made with a land owner on Hawai'i Island.

Forest restoration has begun with the installation of several miles of protective fence to remove feral grazing animals in exchange for selective harvest of koa in a degraded 1,400 acre forest. All proceeds will go into protecting and regenerating this forest over the next 5 years.

Nov 2016

Investment in Logging Equipment

As part of the goal for vertical integration, Siglo invested in new log handling equipment for better, more careful utilization of harvested trees.

Limited equipment is available on Hawai'i Island. Siglo brought over a John Deere forwarder, purchased in Scotland, a Unimog truck from Bavaria, and an excavator and bulldozer from mainland US. This equipment allowed us to implement a Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) methodology, where all wood is carried, rather than dragged, out of the forest. The results of this methodology are cleaner logs and less impact on the forest floor.

April 2016

Cultivating Extraordinary Koa

Working with Haleakala Ranch and Native Nursery on Maui, Siglo embarked on cooperative cultivation of elite lines of koa trees.

We started with koa trees that had superior wood characteristics, such as figured grain or striking colors. Kevin Burke from Pacific Rim Tonewoods, in collaboration with Native Nursery, then began the meticulous task of vegetative propagation of cuttings arising from these special stumps. Our collective goal is to restore the geographic range and quality of koa that had been diminished over the last centuries.

July 2015

Harvesting Koa at Haleakala Ranch

At Haleakala Ranch on Maui, Siglo harvested 30-year-old planted koa trees that had been stunted in their growth by introduced axis deer. Grazing animals are a common challenge for native forests of Hawai'i, nibbling away at native plants and shrubs, especially koa.

Until this Siglo project, koa less than 50 years old was not considered useable, even less so for musical instruments. The trees were small – stunted by grazing ungulates, and needed to be replaced due to incipient rot in the upper stems.

The resulting koa, while young and somewhat problematic, was in fact suitable for instrument making. With the help of Taylor Guitars, who went to great effort to condition the wood sufficiently, tens of thousands of guitars were subsequently built from these koa trees.