Congratulations Hawaii Forest & Trail
and mahalo for your many years of
conservation work!
Paradise Helicopters is honored to
support the launch of the l‘iwi Fund.
866-876-7422 | paradisecopters.com
Departing from Kona, Hilo, Lāna‘i, Turtle Bay, and Kapolei (West O‘ahu)
www.hawaii-forest.com Hawaii Forest & Trail Celebrates 25 Years IJuly 2018 • 3
’ve found connection and joy
in Nature ever since I can
remember. It’s where I go for
replenishment, inspiration
and perspective. My love and attraction
to Nature is what led me to start
Hawaii Forest & Trail twenty-five
years ago. I was looking for a way to
make a living while keeping my nose
in the woods. It’s been a wonderful
journey. Like a challenging hike,
it’s been at times fun, exhilarating,
and challenging. Sometimes it’s all
downhill, sometimes it’s straight up
the pali. Along the way there have
been unexpected encounters and
surprises. Sometimes I’ve felt disoriented
and wondered if I’d lost the
trail and then all of a sudden come
to a place that offers something
sublime and wonderful. After all
these years, I still stop and marvel
in awe and wonder at the amazing
experience Hawaii Forest & Trail
has given me.
Adventures, journeys, and a good
trail are best when shared with others,
and I’ve had the blessing of
sharing this huak‘i with an amazing
group of companions.
First and foremost among my trail
partners is Cindy Pacheco. From
the beginning she encouraged me
to venture out. Three years in, she
quit a good paying job to join me
full-time. HFT wouldn’t be where
it is without her steady and calm
hand. She is the master trail guide
behind the scenes. Right after Cindy
came aboard we hired our first fellow
trail companions, Uncle Danny
Almonte, Dr. Christina Hoffman and
Master Ed Salas. Both Christina and
Ed recently retired after 20 years of
service and Uncle Danny is still guiding
guests today. Over the last two and
a half decades Cindy and I have had
the pleasure of working with some of
the most competent, passionate, dedicated,
and fun-loving group of nature
lovers we could imagine. Today, with
nearly a hundred fellow nature nerds,
it’s remarkable and humbling to watch
the whole operation in action. Last
year Hawaii Forest & Trail and Kohala
Zipline hosted nearly 50,000 adventurers
into Hawaii nei.
It’s been an incredible experience
to build our company around Nature.
What we sell at HFT is an experience.
Experiences are services and products
delivered in one package. Our
service is making it possible for our
guests to forge new and deepen old
connections with Hawaii and Nature.
Our product is Hawaii nei-our beloved
Hawaii. Hawaii’s landscapes are populated
with masterpieces that never fail
to enrapture those who are willing to
look and listen. They say, “Birds of a
feather flock together.” This is true of
our ‘ohana and it is true of our guests.
We are a tribe of nature lovers who get
to find joy in our natural world everyday.
And when your world includes
Hawaii, there’s much joy to be found
and shared.
Mahalo palena ‘ole — Rob Pacheco
/www.hawaii-forest.com
