Tour the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary

If you want to learn more about the importance of our forests and the benefits they have on our peace of mind, then sign up for the tours offered at Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary to celebrate the spring equinox. Hawaii Island Land Trust is offering a tour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 18. The focus will be protecting the aina, especially Hawaii’s forests. Call Janet Britt, Hawaii Island director at 769-4343 to reserve a space as soon as possible since space is limited.

Yoga Hale is sponsoring an additional tour focusing on meditation in the forest from 1:30-3:30 p.m. March 21. The event will celebrate of the beginning of spring. Call Dana Strang at 938-0040 to sign up or for information.

Global warming is no longer a theory and is being accepted as fact by most scientists and governments. This will affect our islands by causing more extremes such as drought, floods and severe storms. We may not be able to do much about other parts of the world, but here at home we as individuals are either part of the solution or part of the problem. If each one of us on the Big Island plant only 10 trees this year, we will have planted more than 1 million. Trees not only produce oxygen, they supply shade, act as windbreaks and lock up the carbon that is the main cause of global warming.

Many of Hawaii’s forests and forest watersheds are threatened. Not much can be done to stop foreign governments from forest destruction, but we can do a lot to protect and plant forests here.

In East Hawaii, many ohia forests are subdivided into small lots of one to three acres. Unless the owners of the land really commit to protecting the forested lots, they are bulldozed and flattened. In West Hawaii, the same situation occurs with private lands being subdivided and cleared. One exception is the Kaloko Mauka subdivision. This is one of the most accessible native forests in West Hawaii. It, among other high elevation areas of Hawaii, is being developed for agriculture and residential activities. However, county planners are making an effort to encourage developers and landowners to protect the forest by placing requirements that the lots remain in forest. The county is also requiring a forest management plan and is allowing owners to dedicate to native forest or tree crops, thus reducing the tax burden. Information on how to apply for agriculture and conservation dedications may be obtained from the Hawaii County tax office.

Much of Kaloko Mauka is still covered with native forest. Although it is sparsely populated, the gardens of residents are a fascinating mixture of hydrangeas, hoawa, calatheas, camellias, koa and kopiko. The area abounds with ancient ohia (Meterosideros polymorpha) and gigantic treeferns, some of which are 30 feet or taller. These ferns may be over 100 years old since the trunks only grow 2 to 3 inches per year. The native forest contains many rare and endangered species that residents are committed to protecting through the Hawaii Forest Stewardship and Hawaii Land Trust programs. These programs allow residents to dedicate and manage their properties to enhance this important and unique watershed. They are administered through the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Forestry Division and Hawaii Island Land Trust.

In the heart of the subdivision, the 70-acre Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary has been set aside for protecting native forests. Approximately 15 acres that were previously pasture have been reforested with native and nonnative species supplied by the forestry service, nurseries and plant societies for testing such as palms, treeferns, bamboos, tropical rhododendrons, orchids and other plant materials. Observations are being made as to their adaptability for reforestation, agricultural and landscape use. Even though most of the sanctuary is preserved in native forest, upper portion is now reforested as a montane tropical forest and includes koa, ohia and conifers from the high tropics such as New Zealand and New Caledonia. Even California redwoods and Southeast loblolly pines are grown successfully.

Kaloko Mauka is the home of the Hawaiian hawk, apapane, iiwi, elepaio, amakihi and many other endemic and exotic birds. Kaloko Mauka has been identified as essential wildlife habitat and forest watershed. It is the goal of residents of Kaloko Mauka to set an example that they can live in harmony with the forest and still have homes and some “forest friendly” agriculture activities. This is essential if our island is to have the rainfall and watershed needed to supply communities at lower elevations.

Tropical forests include not only trees but understory palms, bromeliads, orchids, ferns and bamboos. Many palms worldwide are endangered because of the destruction of rainforests. Fortunately, Hawaii is becoming a kind of Noah’s ark thanks to the efforts of the Hawaii Island Palm Society, Bamboo Society, Orchid Societies, Rhododendron Society and other concerned groups.

Not only is it vital to protect our remaining Hawaiian forests, but to reforest those abandoned cane lands of Hamakua, Puna, Ka‘u and Kohala with biodiverse forests thus ensuring valuable resources for future generations. This is especially critical as we are losing ohia forests because of a fungus killing trees in many areas of the Big Island.

For more information on forest planting and management, contact University of Hawaii Extension Forester J.B. Friday at 959-8254 or jbfriday@hawaii.edu.

For general gardening questions, contact the master gardeners in the Hilo and Kona UH College of Tropical Agriculture Extension offices.