(L to R)- Robert Dickstein, Marjorie Gifford, Joyce and Ed Doy, Steve Whitney

Joyce and Ed Doty of the Na Aina Kai Tropical Gardens in Kilauea have been named rotary Club of Hanalei Bay Employer of the Year. They were nominated by Marjorie Gifford.

This award is presented annually to the North Shore organization that best personifies the Rotarian principle of Service Above Self by their ongoing contributions to their employees and the community at large. This years selection was made very difficult due to the excellent nominations.

Garden founders Joyce and Ed Doty retired to Kaua`i from their ranch in Northern California in 1982. What was begun as a landscape project in their front yard has grown to 240 acres that have been developed into a myriad of diverse gardens, complete with one of the largest collections of bronze sculpture in the United States. The Na Aina Kai hardwood plantation is growing more than 60,000 trees, including such valuable woods as teak, mahogany and rosewood. The hardwood plantation was established as an educational experiment for tropical forestry interests, and will sustain the future of the Gardens financially at harvest.

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In 1999 the Dotys created a Not-for-Profit Foundation, to which they donated the entire gardens including all structures and the sculpture collection. The Foundations mission supports and promotes tropical horticulture, agriculture and forestry, in addition to a constantly evolving garden and art experience for Kauais residents and visitors, and the donation of the property ensures its existence in perpetuity.

During the year 2006 the Gardens were visited by 8,205 people, all of whom were scheduled on our guided tours. These tours are conducted by the nearly 80 trained volunteers, who also devote time within the Gardens doing special projects such as maintaining the bronze sculpture collection and assisting with special horticulture-related projects. Twice yearly the Dotys host a party in gratitude for all that our volunteers contribute to the beauty of the Gardens and the success of our tours.

Joyce and Ed Doty not only sit on the Foundations Board of Trustees, they are the hands-on managers of the entire property and its employees. You will find the Dotys on the property each and every day, working side by side with the 22 full-time employees who are the horticulturist, mechanic, grounds gardeners and visitor center staff. A host of local contractors are also an important part of the Gardens. Among these contractors are members of Phil Dow Construction, Kaua`i Pool Services, R&R Custom Cleaning and Kobayashi Trucking and Equipment, to name a few. What all of our employees, contractors and volunteers find to be the most valuable benefit of their association with Na Aina Kai is that Joyce and Ed actively involve each and every individual in the Gardens as they develop, and everyone is encouraged to express their artistic ideas.

The practical benefits of being an employee of Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens include liberal paid vacations, paid holidays, paid health/dental and vision insurance. Employees receive a generous holiday bonus each year, and from time to time there are extra surprises such as invitations to join the Dotys at events around the Island of Kauai. Na Aina Kai employees are also given permission to occasionally utilize the Garden grounds for personal recreation, and all involved enjoy access to the many fruits that are grown on the property.

Joyce and Ed pay very special attention to the quality of life of their employees. Na Aina Kai full-time horticulturist and her husband, who maintains all of the Gardens machinery and vehicles, live on the property in a home built for them by the Dotys, and as such they also act as resident caretakers of the grounds. In 2006 the Dotys had another home built on the property, which is occupied by the grounds maintenance crew supervisor and his family. This individual has been an indispensable contributor to all that occurs within the Gardens for many years, and he and his family were previously caught in the struggle to find affordable housing on the island. They now enjoy a well-deserved home here on Na Aina Kai acreage. This is just one example of how much Joyce and Ed care for the well-being of their employees.

Na Aina Kai award-winning miniature Ahupuaa depicts the pie-slice-shaped land division from the mountains to the ocean that was the home of early Hawaiian natives. Plans are underway to invite school children to view this area of the Gardens at the time when they are studying Hawaiian culture and history. This is just one more example of how the Dotys are contributing to the community.