Our Brand
Overstory n. the layer of foliage in a forest canopy.
Our name, Overstory, draws from the uppermost layer of Hawaiʻi’s native forests, where ʻōhiʻa and koa trees are often found. This vantage point reveals more than just the canopy—it tells the story of entire watersheds, species diversity, and forest health.
Indigenous wisdom and knowledge teach us that true understanding comes from seeing these connections—how each element sustains and is sustained by others in a cycle of reciprocity and balance. Modern ecology echoes this knowledge, studying the overstory to understand the forest’s complete story.
Our journalism follows this same principle. We examine Hawaiʻi’s challenges from a systems level, revealing how different elements interconnect and influence each other. This perspective helps us identify and understand not just problems, but pathways toward solutions that honor both people and place.
Our logo features the ʻapapane, a native honeycreeper whose relationship with the ʻōhiʻa tree exemplifies the interconnected nature of healthy systems. As the ʻapapane pollinates ʻōhiʻa blossoms, helping sustain the forest’s vitality, our journalism aims to cross-pollinate ideas and solutions across communities, fostering civic engagement and positive change.
Like the forest’s many layers that work together to create a thriving ecosystem, we weave together facts, data and cultural context to increase understanding of issues and perspectives so people can form their own opinions, engage in constructive dialogue and make informed decisions. This solutions-focused approach draws inspiration from the growing field of solutions journalism.
Shortstory
Article pages will feature a “Shortstory,” a bulleted overview of what the article covers. You’ll be able to click each bullet point to jump to the parts of the article that may interest you most. (Though we hope you will read everything.)
Backstory
Some article pages will include a “Backstory.” Here is where we will share behind-the-scenes snippets, such as what inspired the article or some of the work that went into it. We may also share extra information that goes beyond the article itself.
Backstory
