Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 11, 1 November 2010 — Restoring Lānaʻiʻs dryland forest [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Restoring Lānaʻiʻs dryland forest

0n Sept. 15 the Board of Trustees traveled to Lāna'i for the last of eight mmmn-

nity meetings for 2010. Trustees took the opportunity to visit community projects and programs that were part of OHA's grant program. One of the projects visited by OHA Trustees was the Kānepu'u Dryland Forest Preserve. Situated in the northwest part of Lāna'i, this 590-acre preserve is an ecosystem that sustains

more than 45 native plant species. A short 20 minutes from Lāna'i City, the preserve is accessible by a dirt road that winds its way through a sandalwood forest. Leading Trustees along a freshly cleared trail is Bob Hera, preserve manager and passionate steward of the forest preserve. He points to large areas of cleared land where Christmas berry trees and strawberry guava onee grew. "The Christmas berry isn't native, but it took over the forest. Now we're trying to cut them back so the ua'u fern ean grow again." He describes how they've recently started putting up fences around the fern to keep the deer out of the area. In speaking of the Hawaiian gardenia, he says: "The nā'ū, the gardenia is very rare. We fence them off so that the deer don't eat the young shoots. Putting up fence is hard work, but we have groups that eome every so often to help." Over the past year, students from Lāna'i High School, University of Hawai'i-Hilo and regular community members have done their share to preserve the forest. On any given day, this 75-year-old and his crew made up of Sol Kaopuiki, Ambrose Amoneio, Ruben Marco Eskaran, Richard Cadoy Sabino, Benjamin Ka'aikala, Bobby Hobdy and

Cliff Kipo Cabanilla, ean be found beating back weeds or shoring up fences. This group of dedicated workers, who are (S8 vears or

older, ean be found at Kānepu'u several times a week working, some days harder than others, to preserve the forest. On March 27 of this year, the Kānepu'u community honored Sol Kaopuiki by dedicating a trail in his honor. Family and friends gathered at the forest to honor Unele Sol with lei and lots of love for this dedication and

commitment to the forest. Often doted as the "Living Treasure of Lāna'i," this 91-year-old and his community have struggled to protect the dryland forest preserve from alien plants, erosion, deer and other hoofed animals. Like the man, the trail leading into the forest boasts many of its own treasures. Besides the nā'ū (Hawaiian gardenia) the forest is home to pua aloalo (native Hibiscus), olopua (a Hawaiian olive tree), sandalwood and lama (a Hawaiian ebony tree). This native forest is the largest remaining dryland forest of its kind in Hawai'i. Trustees who visited the forest were impressed with the work being done by these retired men and the many supporters from the community that worked together to not only save the forest, but bring about awareness of the value in our forests. While most of the OHA grant will go toward field equipment like fencing, a wood chipper and irrigation, Trustees were happy to hear that some of the grant will be used to produce native plant signage and brochures for folks visiting the forest. Congratulations and mahalo to all of you who sacrifice your time and labor for Kānepu'u. ■

Cūlette Y. Machadū Trustee, Muluka'i and Lāna'i