Kōnea o Kukui: To Restore the Light
By Jan Wizinowich With the passage of time, a place becomes layered with the spirits of beings and events that hold the stories and wisdom of those who have gone before. Many may not notice or recognize the spirit of…
On Hawai‘i Island You Can Pick The Weather You Want
By Walter Dudley One reason Hawaiʽi is known around the world as paradise is that the climate across our island chain is about as perfect as any place on Earth. But what many people don’t realize is that Hawaiʽi Island…
Planting the Forest Back Together
By Rachel Laderman The Kealakekua Forest Nursery (KFN) is the biggest native plant nursery in the state, and it is run with a big heart, driven by love for the land and Hawaiian heritage. It provides seedlings for many reforestation projects,…
Casa de Las Palmas: Hilo’s Sanctuary for Rare and Endangered Palms
By Sara Stover On an unassuming country road outside of Hilo, perched above the ancient waters of Waiākea Stream, grows a menagerie of rare and endangered palms. Before you even step foot onto the grounds of Casa de Las Palmas…
The Many Hands, Feet, Wings, Paws, and Hoofs of Lili House Farm
By Nancy S. Kahalewai What do Arthur the mini-donkey, Wilma and Fred the African desert tortoises, and Tommy the American heritage turkey have in common? They all get to roam and graze on a carpet of sweet grass on the…
Waipi‘o Valley: A Cultural Kipuka
By Jan Wizinowich It’s December 22, 2021 and Kūlia Kauhi Tolentino Potter greets volunteers from Sam Houston State University (SHSU) at the Waipi‘o Valley lookout. It’s pouring rain and a work day is looking doubtful, but they are full of…
Hawai‘i County’s Innovative Native Forest Dedication Program Provides Tax Incentives for Preservation and Restoration
By Mālielani Larish Did you know that special tax incentives exist for Hawai‘i County landowners who want to restore or preserve native forest on their land? The County of Hawai‘i Real Property Tax Division initiated the Native Forest Dedication Program…
Secrets of the Sand
By Walter Dudley A beach is a magical place for most of us, whether to swim, surf, snorkel, sip a Mai Tai, or simply watch the sunset. When people dream about going to the beach, they envision soft, warm, golden…
The Night Lava Returned to Halema‘uma‘u Crater
By Stefan Verbano Bruce Miller and Ed Clapp headed to the crater overlook that fateful December night to stargaze and celebrate the solstice. A cold, wet mist hung in the mountain air, surrounding them. They approached the volcano’s rim as…
It’s a Family Affair at Āhualoa Farms
By Barbara Garcia Born and raised on a citrus ranch in Southern California, farming runs in Chad Cleveland’s blood. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were farmers and Chad has always loved having his hands in the dirt. He went to…
The Fate of Ahu‘ailā‘au ~ Shrine of the Forest Eater
By Stefan Verbano Every footstep crunches on the way to the summit. A strange, brittle ash coats the land, heaped in golden hills in some places; in others cut away by rivulets of erosion from three years of tropical rainstorms.…
Welcome to the Lava Zone
By Brittany P. Anderson It’s hard to forget that day—May 3, 2018. The ground shook and cracked open, slowly blanketing land and homes, smothering dreams and spitting out steam. Then, the molten orange lava burst free, weaving a path of…
Seeger Institute at Eden Farms: Ecological Solutions to Make a Better World
By Stefan Verbano There is a fierce urgency in Gary Rosenbergʻs eyes. Itʻs the look of a time traveler who, after witnessing some future calamity, is sent back to warn an incredulous public to change their ways, often with great…
Maka‘eo Path Fosters Health and Community
By Fern Gavelek Build it and they will come. This statement certainly holds true for the Maka‘eo path at Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area. Flanking the mauka (upland) side of the former Kona Airport runway in Kailua-Kona, the paved…
Back to the ‘Āina: Strengthening Hawai‘i Island’s Food System
By Brittany P. Anderson The afternoon heat hangs heavy over the field. Two farmers continue their work seemingly unaffected by the weather. Arms and legs bundled up to avoid being burned by the sun, they pluck beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes…
Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary: A Living, Teaching Tool
By Fern Gavelek The sun goes in and out of rain-filled clouds while driving up Koloko Mauka to the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary (KCFS). Upon arrival, the air is cool and damp, smelling of dew and moist earth. The sun…
Celebrating the 2% Land Fund Successes
By Mālielani Larish A Hawaiian yellow-faced bee zips through the air like a flash of black lightning, attracted to the fragrant white flower of the endemic maiapilo shrub. On this weekday morning, the shoreline of ‘O‘oma in North Kona is…
A Garden of Trees: Ulu La‘au, the Waimea Nature Park
By Brittany P. Anderson The sky overhead is pure cobalt blue with low-lying clouds steamrolling across the landscape, their shadows dancing on the bright green grass below. Here, in the heart of downtown Waimea (Kamuela), is Ulu La‘au, the Waimea…
To Walk with the Ancestors: Lapakahi and the North Kohala Coast
By Jan Wizinowich Lapakahi State Historical Park (LSHP), a significant cultural complex along the leeward coast of North Kohala on Hawai‘i Island, is a time portal through which we can glimpse the thriving life of Hawai‘i’s early settlers and a…
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden: Restoring and Protecting Hawai‘i Island’s Biodiversity
By Brittany P. Anderson The isolation of Hawai‘i Island, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and born of volcanic lava flows from the ocean’s floor, shaped the biodiversity of the island. Our unique position makes the Island of Hawai‘i one of…
Kawaihae I: Bringing an Ahupua‘a Back to Life
By Jan Wizinowich During Kamehameha’s time, the ahupua‘a (land parcel) of Kawaihae fed thousands of people with its rich ocean resources and highly developed field system, irrigated from the abundant Kohala watershed. Now there are only remnants of that time…
A Return to the ‘Āina: Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
By Brittany P. Anderson Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1985, making it the first national wildlife refuge to encompass rainforests since the program was established in 1908. The 33,000 acres running above Hakalau along Maunakea’s eastern side…
Preserving Natural Resources by Protecting Native Forests
By Sara Stover When Maunaloa erupted in 1926, it was impossible to stop the lava from destroying much of the forest found within what is the modern-day Kona Hema Preserve. Stopping bulldozers and building plans from taking their toll on…
Hilo’s History Through the Banyan Trees
By Denise Laitinen During the 1930s, a virtual who’s who of celebrities, sports stars, and politicians including our nation’s 32nd president all made their way to Hilo. While here, many participated in planting a banyan tree on the Waiākea Peninsula.…
Hawaiian Islands Land Trust: A Legacy of Land
By Brittany P. Anderson There is a place on Hawai‘i Island where clouds come down from the sky to walk amongst the trees. Noe kolo (creeping mist) overcomes the jungle as an ‘i‘iwi (scarlet honeycreeper) call rings out—its location masked…
Future Forest Nursery: Say YES to Planting Trees
By Fern Gavelek “Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”—Khalil Gibran Trees make us look up. Their canopy provides shade and collects rain to replenish the watershed. Their roots sequester carbon, mitigating global warming, and store rain…
The Past is Present: Kalo Farming on Hawai‘i Island
By Brittany P. Anderson There is a story behind every plant on Hawai‘i Island. Sometimes it is a legend of betrayal, sometimes a voyage across the Pacific Ocean, or an accidental introduction to our island home. The tale of kalo…
Mālama Mokupuni–Caring for Our Island Environment: Telling the Story of the Archipelago
By Rachel Laderman When the 6.9 earthquake rocked Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on May 4, 2018, it seriously damaged park buildings and infrastructure. The park had to close until the volcanic action settled down, reopening on September 22. During those…
Magical Creatures of Hamakua: A Second Chance at Life for Animals Large and Small
By Denise Laitinen Standing atop a hill in the middle of a large green pasture along the Hāmākua Coast, the Pacific Ocean extends far into the distance melding with the blue sky as birds sing and puffy white clouds float…
The Cultivating Life: Agroforestry Expert Craig Elevitch
By Brittany P. Anderson A cool breeze runs through the dense forests of Hōlualoa, perched on the slope of Hualālai Volcano in North Kona. Here, the woods are brimming with avocado, ‘ulu (breadfruit), macadamia nut, coffee, and fruit trees. Once…
