Pālamanui Community Forest

Pālamanui Community Forest
Geography
Area	2.86 km2 (1.10 sq mi)
Country	United States of America
States	Hawaii

Pālamanui Community Forest is a forest preserve located in Kailua-Kona on the big island of Hawaii. It was created by the University of Hawaii education system in tandem with the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife with the goal of preserving Hawaii's lowland tropical dry forest, protecting plant species that are endemic to the islands of Hawaii, and reducing invasive flora species.

History

The Palamanui campus preserve forest was created by Dr. Richard Stevens in 2014 . The Palamanui campus dry forest preserve was created for the goal of preserving and protecting the native trees of Hawai’i . By 2030, Governor David Ige’s goal for the forest preserve is to replant, restore and conserve these native trees and their ecosystems across the Islands. Between the University of Hawai‘i (UH) and the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), the dryland forest was agreed to be used as an “outdoor laboratory” used as an outdoor learning center for surrounding communities to learn about Hawai’i’s ecosystem and native trees. The project for this preserved forest received $60,000 in legislative funding to contribute to the protection of williwilli trees with fences and weed control. With the growth of Palamanui’s campus preserve forest, keiki and kupuna will be able to reconnect with the native trees and plants of Hawai’i.

Ecology

File:Wiliwili tree.jpg

Wiliwili tree (Erythrina sandwicensis) a tree endemic to the Hawaii islands.

Many plants located inside the Pālamanui Community Forest are endemic to the Hawaii islands. These include wiliwili, halapepe, ko’oko’olau, kauila, noho kula, maʻaloa, and ‘aiea.

Several invasive plants are also located within the preserve. These include haole koa, silk oak, and fountain grass, with the goal of removing these invasive species to make room for Hawaii's native flora.

Culture

In the Hawaiian kingdom before the United States of America colonized Hawai’i – Big Island, native Hawaiians used an Ahupua’a system. This system was a traditional geologic and subdivision of land native Hawaiians used to divide land into different communities. In some beliefs, Ahupua’a originally started with ʻUmi-a-Līloa who was the son of the great high chief Līloa. As the belief goes, ʻUmi-a-Līloa took over control of the land and divided it into Ahupua’a for communities to utilize. Another belief comes from communities coming together to divide land equally to share water usage. With the Ahupua’a coming together for communities, each part of land started from the top of the volcano to the bottom where the shore meets the ocean. A drainage system is created for each piece of land for water usage, and each piece of land has its own mala, or cultivated area. For each land division, an aliʻi would overlook the Ahupua’a. In the Ahupua’a divisions, Palamanui’s ‘ili (small section of land) would be located in Hamanamana, Haleohiu, Maka'ula and Kau. To Hawaiians, they believed that the sea, the land and the clouds all intertwined with each other to create a sustainable system for the wellbeing of the land.