Join us for a panel discussion about the ethics of growing Bodhi trees on Kaua’i with Dr. Dee Denver, a professor of evolutionary genetics at Oregon State University.

Bodhi trees, Ficus religiosa, hold tremendous cultural and spiritual relevance to many on Kaua’i and across the world. The Buddha became enlightened under a Bodhi tree more than 2,500 years ago in India, and ever since, these trees have been considered sacred to Buddhist practitioners. Many Buddhist temples on Kaua’I and in other parts of Hawai’i host Bodhi trees, and these trees are also sold as ornamentals and used in Bonsai practice.

However, these introduced trees are also of invasive ecological concern in Hawai’i, with the potential to harm native ecosystems. How to find balance? Join us for a conversation about the spiritual history, biology, and ecological impacts of Bodhi trees on Kaua’i.

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