Big Island Now news briefs for April 18: National Native Plant Month, Jams World 2026 Chat Collection, Grace to retire

Bipartisan measure designates April as National Native Plant Month

U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution led by Hawai’i Democrat U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and Mississippi Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith designating April 2026 as National Native Plant Month.

The resolution recognizes the critical role native plants play in supporting wildlife diversity and environmental conservation and restoration.

“With Hawai’i being home to 40% of the country’s endangered and threatened plant species in the country, celebrating biodiversity and promoting environmental conservation is critical to uplifting our state’s history and culture,” said Hirono in a release about the measure’s passage. “Across the country, native plants highlight the uniqueness of the places they call home. This bipartisan resolution is a testament to just that — native plants are not political, our environment depends on them.”

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New Jams World 2026 Chat Collection benefits Hawaiian Humane Society

Multi-generational Hawai’i clothing company Jams World partnered with Hawaiian Humane Society to produce Chat Collection, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the society.

The featured original Jams World vintage artwork in the collection, painted in the 1990s, includes a famous proverb “La nuit, tous les chats sont gris,” which translates to “At night, all cats are gray.”

It fits Hawaiian Humane Society’s mission to “promote the human-animal bond and the humane treatment of all animals.”

The Chat Collection is available now online and in-store at the Jams World shops at Mauna Lani and Kings’ Shops on the Big Island.

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Grace to retire as Polynesian Cultural Center president

Polynesian Cultural Center President and Chief Executive Officer P. Alfred Grace will retire May 1 after more than a decade in the post.

The 65-year-old appointed in 2013 is the center’s longest-serving president and CEO. He plans to remain in Lāʻie, Oʻahu, focusing on family, community service and future volunteer opportunities.

Polynesian Cultural Center Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Jarod Hester is Grace’s successor effective May 1.