Events

As part of ongoing efforts to expand the Honolulu Recreational Community Gardening Program, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is evaluating Asing Community Park as a potential site for a new community garden!

Now DPR wants to hear your input about this proposal through two community meetings:

• In-person: Friday, December 5, 2025 from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. in Asing Community Park’s Meeting Room
• Via Zoom: Saturday, December 6, 2025 12 noon – 1:30 p.m. Register online at bit.ly/PlanningGrowth

Both sessions will include a brief presentation about the community gardening program, an overview of how Asing Community Park was identified as a possible site, and opportunities for attendees to share feedback and ask questions.

“We’re excited to invite our neighbors and fellow park users to help shape the future of the City’s community gardens, as we aim to be more equitable and offer this program to more of our island community,” said Anna Mines, Community Gardens Project Manager. “Much like a gardener nurturing and preparing the soil so that plants can grow successfully, a lot of groundwork has gone into preparing us to expand and improve our program for a growing list of eager participants. Your feedback ensures that new gardens can take root in the right place, and grow in alignment with the needs of the community.”

The proposed site within this nearly 13-acre community park was selected through a geospatial analysis of the DPR park locations. This study assessed factors such as available space, access to water, transit connectivity, and community demographics. These meetings represent the first step in the planning process, when public input will help determine whether this location should be prioritized for a new community garden.

Celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, the popularity of the Honolulu Recreational Community Gardening Program is evident from the hundreds of gardeners awaiting a chance for a plot of their own. In fact, the average wait time for an existing community garden plot is about six years. Currently DPR provides over 1,200 gardening plots at 11 sites on O‘ahu, and often receives requests for new community gardens. Most notably in areas not yet served by this program. Expanding the City’s community garden network in underserved communities is also Action 8.5 of the City’s climate adaptation strategy, Climate Ready Oʻahu.

Each garden has its own unique character, with participants actively engaged in growing vegetables, herbs, flowers, and other bio-diverse greenery. Community gardens don’t just provide access to food growing space, they also teach about food sustainability and foster relationships. In addition to the harvests that their garden plots yield, gardeners enjoy: social interaction, creative problem solving, recreation, exercise, and a deeper understanding of resilient living.

We invite you to explore more about this legacy program online, and how you can be involved, by visiting: bit.ly/oahugardens

If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.