Hawaiian Islands Land Trust Refuge Huakaʻi

 

Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge, Waihe’e Ahupua’a, Wailuku District, Maui.

Since 2003 the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust has managed the Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge for three purposes: to restore habitat for endangered species, particularly the endemic waterbird species, preserve and protect the 93 archaeological sites on the property, and to educate the public, especially students of all ages, about the importance of preserving special places, or wahi pana, across the archipelago.

The Waihe’e Refuge is a place of significance to the Hawaiian people dating to mythological times.  The massive 200- foot sand dunes that encircle the refuge were said to be built by the goddess Haumea, goddess of childbirth, to protect the sacred tree Kalaukekahuli, which was given to her after successfully delivering a child.  With habitation dates extending back over 1,000 years, Waihe’e is among the earliest places people called home in Hawai’i, and the myths, legends and stories underlie the historical and cultural significance of this area.  The huaka`i maka`ika`i around the Waihe’e Refuge will introduce you to this special place, and to the work the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust is doing to restore its ecological integrity, while bringing over a thousand students and several thousand visitors each year to the refuge.  The easy two to three-hour tour will pass sacred temples, a fishpond which dates to the 1500’s and several temple sites.

Our goal is to connect people to the land, and through this connection to cultivate a sense of aloha `aina, or love of the land, and ultimately the kuleana (responsibility) intrinsic to this feeling of aloha, mālama `aina (caring for the land). Led by Hawaiian Islands Land Trust’s Associate Executive Director of Conservation, Dr. Scott Fisher.