At This Clinic in Hawaii, Nature Is the Medicine

Take a deep breath. Sound on. And step into a lush tropical forest, tucked into a valley alongside soaring mountains not far from Oahu’s southern coast.

50 States, 50 Fixes The air is filled with birdsong, the land a tableau of soft greens and gentle light. This is Ho‘oulu ‘Āina, a 100-acre preserve with an unusual twist. Linked to a community health center, it is a place where patients come to heal the land, and themselves.



As climate change accelerates and the Trump administration abandons the fight, Ho‘oulu ‘Āina is one example of how people in all 50 states, red and blue, are working to restore land, clean up waterways, cut pollution and protect wildlife. is a series about local solutions to environmental problems. More to come this year.

Twenty years ago, Ho‘oulu ‘Āina was neglected, overrun with garbage and invasive plants. But today, it’s thriving. And the volunteers and patients who spend long hours there, removing nonnative plants and growing vegetables, fruit and herbs, have experienced a restoration of body and soul.

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