Ka Puana: Chameleons in the Garden, Being Jacksons, Doing What Jacksons Do

Mary and Matt Lovein, artists and owners of Holualoa Gallery in Holualoa, have a love affair with chameleons.

“We are so lucky to live in Hawai‘i, which is one of the only places on the planet that we can see Jackson’s chameleons in habitat, besides their place of origin, Mt. Kenya, Africa,” said Mary. “We are living in chameleon country here on Mt. Hualalai and can spot them in the trees from any window in our home or from the lanai.  They adorn the trees like holiday ornaments in a surrealistic dream.“

The Lovein’s lush garden has become a haven for the prehistoric-looking creatures and, after collecting an album of some 5,000 photos and a five-year journal, Mary decided to publish a book about their bumpy green friends. Titled, Chameleons in the Garden, it is full of fascinating photos and facts, complete with love stories. ❖

Available at the Hawai‘i Public Library, Amazon.com, Borders Bookstores, selected independent book stores and art galleries, and Lovein’s Holualoa Gallery. Visit the book website.