Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 12, 1 December 1987 — Natural Resources as Precious Treasures [ARTICLE]

Natural Resources as Precious Treasures

Ka'upulehu: An Experience with British Royalty

By Hannah Kihalani Springer {Editor's Note : Space limitations in earlier issues of Ka Wai Ola O OHA preuented publication ofthis story. Howeuer, the mana'o and warm feeling ofaloha are still being felt and the information prouidesfor interesting reading.) It has been eight months since April 27, 1987, when I had the opportunity to share time with na malihini no'eau ma Ka'upulehu, Kekaha. It was a delight to share time with visitors to na'u 'aina aloha with whom 1 share so many interests.

Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh and his travelling eompanion, Lord Buxton, spent the night of April 26 in Ka'upulehu and I was invited to share time with them the following morning on an excursion of the middle slopes of Hualalai in Ka'upulehu. With firm handshakes, Prfnce Phillip and I introduced ourselves and soon the party of five began the excursion. Kaulana no 'o Ka'upulehu for, among other things, the 'alala (Corvus tropicus) and nene (Branata sandvicensis) whieh used to inhabit its slopes, for the kauila (Colubrina oppositifoliā) whieh are present in remnant numbers in the dryland forest of the region, and for the Ka'upulehu lava flow of 1800 — 1801 so prominent upon the landscape from the upper slopes unto the sea. We had the opportunity to discuss the birds, the plants, the rocks, and more during our two-hour field trip.

On the topic of birds, it was the kolea (Pluvialis dominica), a single individual with its breeding plumage but not yet embarked upon its northern migration that initiated the discussion. Lord Buxton had been associated with Sir Peter Scott's project with the Shipman nene at the Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, England, and of course the two men would have appreciated seeing nene in their native habitat, but such fortune was not ours. ' Apapane (Himatione sanguinea) were the only native forest birds that we saw and the visitors, who are familiar with the featherwork of the islands as well as being keen birders interested in the habits of such honeycreepers, were pleased with the sightings.

When queried about the regional winds and the ways of the oeean, we entered into a discussion ranging from the prevailing trades wafting the volcanic haze from Kilauea to Kona while flushing the windward side clear; to the diminished effect of the trades in Kona allowing the development of regional weather systems; to the Pacific high pressure system and its seasonal migration; to an annecdote (of unconfirmed accuracy) that I heard on Kaho'olawe regarding the alignment of signal fires on Maui and Kaho'olawe with an indicator star and the reduced sailing time to Kahiki during that time of the year. The number of plant species alien to Hawai'i far exceeded the number of native species we saw in the part of Ka'upulehu that we visited given the land modification efforts for various agricultural efforts. With words that warmed the spirit o keia kama'aina o Ka'upulehu, Prince Phillip spoke of the desirability of sparing the mountainside not yet impacted by grazing and crop planting from further modification. He further recommended implementing a conservation/management program for lands not yet irreparably modified.

With the mosaic of colors, textures and patterns visible from e. 3,700 feet above sea level in Ka'upulehu, a topic of discussion was quite naturally, the fact that we were positioned approximately midway up the northwest rift of Hualalai. As the conversation turned to water resources, we discussed the porosity of the lava and the lense of fresh water that floats on top of the body of salt water beneath/within the island. No discussion of water resources among cognizant people is complete without reiteration of the virtually universal fact that discharge is exceeding recharge. The conversation became quite lively as we discussed the feasibility of positioning nets over the reservoirs on Hualalai Ranch to increase the rate of recharge of the ranch water supply. And, as we

passed the hill Moanuiahea and had a view of 'Akahipu'u below, I told of the precious water cave, Makalai, from whieh water was collected to meet some of the water needs of the people of Hu'ehu'e well into this century. Our time passed quickly. It was a special opportunity and pleasure for me to share time on Hualalai with such distinguished and informed guests. It was inspiring for me to be able to spend time with a "Ruling Chief ' from an island nation; with a chief cognizant of the precious treasures that are our natural resources, of their vulnerability and of their need for spirited protection; with a chief having an understanding that many of the hereditary, elected, and appointed chiefs of Hawai'i nei have forgotten or have yet to acquire. In conclusion, Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, directed me with words that some of us already live by: "It is not

enough to be supportive of an effort, you must actively participate in realizing the objective." And so, e hana pono kakou i na hana no'eau no ka pu-

lama mau ana i na waiwai ola o keia 'aina aloha (let us work together, correctly, at those tasks requiring skill, forever protecting the natural resources).