The Merwin Conservancy

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United States of America - Hawaii - Haiku

Institution Code:

BGCI Member: No

About the The Merwin Conservancy

The Merwin Conservancy was founded in 2010 to preserve the living legacy of W.S. Merwin, his home and palm forest on Maui, for future study and retreat for botanists and writers. Additionally, The Conservancy’s mission is to engage the community in discussion of the values related to the life and work of W.S. Merwin, from the environment to the arts, through community events and media.

The Merwin Conservancy’s current projects include:

-Palm cataloging of over 850 species, including DNA vouchering, tagging, GPS mapping, in partnership with the National Tropical Botanical Garden, which will hold the palm samples in their Herbarium. Possible seed bank once the scientific information established.

-Independent documentary, Even Though the Whole World is Burning, in collaboration with Cicala Filmworks and director’s Stefan Schaefer and Williams Cole. Filmed in Maui, France, and New York City.

-Arts + Ecology Speaking Series to begin in 2013, presented by The Merwin Conservancy, a quarterly salon.

-Endowment Campaign to begin in 2013.

Main Address:
The Merwin Conservancy
P.O. Box 809
Haiku
Hawaii 96708 United States of America

Telephone: 808-579-8876
Fax:
URL: www.merwinconservancy.org/
Primary Email:

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Jason Denhart, Executive Director
    Curator's Name:
    Plant Records Officer's Name:

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Private: Yes
  • Date founded: 2010
  • Physical Data
  • Latitude: 20.900513
    Longitude: -156.25825
    Altitude: 0.00 Metres

Features and Facilities

Plant Collections

  • Cultivation Taxa Num: 850
  • Special Collections:The seed of this project was planted over three decades ago when Merwin purchased a plot of land in Peahi Valley on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. Over the span of nearly thirty-five years, Merwin built an ecologically conscious home for himself and his wife Paula as well as planted more than 4,000 trees representing nearly 850 species of endemic, indigenous and endangered palms. He has transforming a place that was once considered “wasteland” into a lush and rare 19-acre tropical forest.

Conservation Programmes

  • Conservation Programme: Yes
    Ex Situ Conservation Programme: Yes

Research Programmes

Education Programmes