Native Forest Conservation & &Restoration
To see our 2021 annual sustainability report highlighting our ongoing work,
Stewardship staff conduct vegetation surveys to document locales with high levels of native forest cover, and unique or rare plant species. This information is stored in geospatial databases so that resource maps can be made available as needed.
Cyanea truncata
The C. truncata restoration site is located at the back of Hakipu‘u valley after the Kalama lookout on the jungle tour. The restoration area is protected from ungulates (pigs and cattle) by a fence just over an acre in size. Some of the native plants you can see from the road include: loulu (Hawaiian Palm), palapalai and hapu‘u ferns, koa trees, and hibiscus. Dozens of additional species of native plants found on ranch property have been planted throughout the enclosure. The site also features several individuals of the endangered Cyanea truncata. Once thought to be extinct in the wild, several plants were found in a remote gulch on ranch property. Fruits from the remaining plants were collected. The original founders have since died, however outplants were reintroduced to the original site and were established at the Hakipu‘u site as a location to bring attention and awareness to this unique plant.
Punawai Kalo
The Punawai Kalo restoration site is a fenced enclosure located at the head of one of the perennial springs in Hakipu’u. On the jungle tour, this site can be seen on the Hakipu’u loop before the Kong Skull Island helicopter site. Punawai is Hawaiian for a spring of water. The site consists of 10 lo’i kalo and 1 mala ‘ai. “Ola i ka wai” translates to mean “there is life in the water”. Hawaiian culture recognizes water or “wai” as a sacred resource. Early Hawaiians prioritized the management of their fresh water sources because they understood that if they took care of the wai, the wai would take care of them. Following in the footsteps of the original stewards of this land, we have centered two of our restoration sites around punawai that are naturally present in Hakipu’u.
Punawai Ulu
Punawai Ulu is located in the Hakipu’u ahupua’a and surrounds another perennial spring. The focus for restoration efforts at this site include stream and slope restoration with native/canoe plants. This helps with the propagation of native species on the ranch while limiting erosion and increasing protection efforts of the spring and surrounding ecosystem.
.svg)