Contemporary Hawai‘i Woodworkers; the Wood, the Art, the Aloha recently won the DIY Book Festival Awards in the Art/Photography book category and won Best Design overall for all books submitted to the 2009 annual contest in Los Angeles, California. It's also a finalist in the national Foreword Reviews' Book of the Year Award established to increase the attention of librarians and booksellers to the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and authors and is nominated for the HawaiiReaders.com Best Book of the Year Award. One top of it all, Hawaiian Koa trees are being planted to honor those who purchase Limited Edition copies of the book.

Contemporary Hawai‘i Woodworkers, designed and written by Tiffany DeEtte Shafto and Lynda McDaniel, celebrates the talent and creativity of 36 of Hawai‘i’s award-winning wood artists and the organizations and locally grown trees that support their work.

"The response to Contemporary Hawai‘i Woodworkers has been absolutely amazing, especially considering it has been out only since last November," says Tiffany DeEtte Shafto, owner of Contemporary Publications, which designed, produced, and published the book. "When it made the Borders Bookstore Hawai‘i’s Best Sellers list in December and January (Ward Center location), I was delighted. Being a subject I am so passionate about, I am thrilled that it is making a difference."

Green ""award" Contemporary Hawai‘i Woodworkers also captured the attention of Jeff Dunster, CEO of Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods (HLH). He is “awarding” all purchasers of the book’s 300 Limited Edition copies with a koa tree planted in their name. The numbered Limited Edition books are signed by 35 of the featured wood artists and come in a beautiful curly koa printed slipcase.
"Koa is a truly magnificent tropical hardwood and while the majority of our 2,700-acre sustainable forestry project is dedicated to raising investment grade koa, we have set aside a special place for planting Legacy Trees," says Dunster. "Our Legacy Tree™ Program facilitates the planting of koa trees to honor an individual, commemorate an event or memorialize a loved one. This book and the wood artists within it honor the culture and tradition of Hawai‘i’s premier indigenous wood. To enhance the generosity of individuals who are supporting this Limited Edition, we are planting a koa tree in their honor."

Each Limited Edition book buyer will receive a certificate with the GPS coordinates of the tree planted in their honor and can visit it any time, located just south of the historic Umikoa Village on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. The planting site is a reclaimed cattle pasture that is being returned to koa forest.

"Visiting Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods site was a full circle experience for me," says Tiffany. "Knowing the need for sustainable reforestation of Hawaii’s prized, native koa—a wood that is found nowhere else on earth—and seeing this visionary project taking place, I instantly asked if I could plant the book’s trees myself. I’m pleased to share the answer was ‘yes.’"

Limited Edition copies of this award-winning book are still available and are sold exclusively through THIS SITE. The regular edition of the book is available though galleries and book stores across the islands and through Amazon.com.

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