Maui Ocean Center debuts a Hawaiian Culture and Plant Tour
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Maui From Above with CHRIS ARCHER aerial photographer Waihou Spring Trail
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UPCOUNTRY HIKE TRACES
HISTORY OF REFORESTATION & PRESERVATION EFFORTS
What’s the only thing better than a real estate agent who’s committed to you and your dreams? Not one—but two—dedicated agents who are here to help make it happen.
See some of the faces and names at this year's Kapalua Wine and Food Festival at The Ritz-Calrton Maui, Kapalua.
At Maui Ocean Center, explore the above-water world of native, endemic and canoe plants that forge the ecological relationship between mauka and makai.
The trail through Waihou Spring Forest Reserve above Makawao feels like a hike through the forests of the Pacific Northwest.
Story by Mona de Crinis
Photographs by Chris Archer
Aerial photographer Chris Archer gives new perspectives on beloved Maui locales.
Photographs by Ryan Siphers
‘Less is more’ for interior designer’s home retreat on twoacre Ha‘ikū property.
ON THE COVER Pōhuehue (beach morning glory) blooms on Palauea Beach in South Maui.
See page 22 to learn more about indigenous plant life at the Maui Ocean Center.
by Rick Carlson
It’s just the beginning.”
Dining Editor Carla Tracy has been a leading voice in Maui’s food and beverage industry for more than 30 years, previously as dining editor at The Maui News and as a Maui restaurant and entertainment scene contributor to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser
In each issue of Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi, Tracy writes the “Craving Maui” column, which is full of the latest happenings and insider information about Maui's the dining scene.
A winner of multiple awards from the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for her feature stories, Tracy has judged countless food contests; interviewed celebrity chefs, famous winemakers and notable rock stars; and entertained readers with her intimate reporting. These days, in addition to her work at Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi, Tracy focuses time on her North Shore farm growing coconuts, bananas, dragon fruit and wetland taro.
Ryan Siphers has been a commercial photographer since 2006, starting his career on Maui at age 22 after attending the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. He began regular contributor appearances in Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi in 2010, photographing architecture, food and the people of Maui.
Siphers discovered early on that having a camera in hand was one of the best ways to find adventure. He moved to the island as a young man with his wife, Julie Siphers, owner of HOLOHOLO SURF shop in Makawao. Together they built careers and a family on Maui.
When not behind the lens, Siphers and his family enjoy time at the beach – wherever the surf is good or the fish are biting.
Making her first appearance in Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi, writer Mona de Crinis carries decades of experience in the publishing industry, wearing the hats of writer, graphic designer and editor. She honed her magazine publishing experience as a senior editor at Palm Springs Life before moving to Maui and then working for The Maui News. She was later hired as the managing editor for Pacific Whale Foundation. de Crinis proudly calls Maui her “adopted home” and has found the island has opened her eyes to a new and enchanting world. “To talk story about Maui is a privilege and honor that comes with great responsibility guided by reverence, truthfulness, and purity of intention,” she said.
When not telling the stories of Maui and its people, de Crinis can be found on the tennis court, adventuring on a hiking trail, or enjoying the “warm embrace” of the island’s tropical waters.
SUMMER 2023
VOL. 27, NO. 4
Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi is an internationally-distributed magazine dedicated to exploring the life and culture of Maui Nui. There’s a saying known in the islands: Maui nō ka ‘oi, Hawaiian for “Maui is the best.” We hope you think so, too.
Publisher & Executive Editor
Chris Amundson
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ED ITO RIAL
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Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Magazine
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Here are some of the folks who make our magazine nō ka ‘oi (the best).
Chris Amundson Publisher & Editor chris@mauimagazine.net
MY MORNINGS START mauka to makai.
I strap on my helmet, turn on my high-intensity headlight and check the tire pressure on my mountain bike.
With safety steps complete, I pedal up an incline through a former macadamia nut plantation then pause briefly at the intersection to look down on Paukūkalo, Kahului Harbor, Kahului Airport and the North Shore.
In the winter, I can hear the waves pounding the reef at Ho‘okipa. In the summer, the surf is flat, and surfers are stalking placid south shore swells – but my exhilarating ride to work is about to begin.
I turn the corner, and with a few fast turns of the pedal, I’m on my way down the mountain. Gravity is my friend. I pick up speed. Roosters grazing for bugs on the roadside scurry away with heads ducked as a I fly past.
A few minutes later and I’m at the Kahekili Highway, then soon coasting into Happy Valley behind a Maui-style "traffic jam” of four or five Tacoma work trucks. I stop at Takamiya Market for Spam musubi to-go, then ride over Wailuku River, then turn down Mill Street on the home stretch to the magazine’s office on Imi Kala Street.
But before I round the corner to the office – each morning I pass the same mural: “Mauka to Makai.”
Completed in 2019 as part of the Small Town, Big Art initiative, this painting by husband-andwife team Matthew and Roxanne Ortiz shows a whimsical scene of a tree house with a yellow playground slide and half-pipe skateboard ramp. But its message is all-business.
The builders of the tree house have repurposed two voyaging canoe ama (outriggers) to be planters for a thriving aquaculture garden. A catchment tank provides water to a closed system that feeds a “Native Plant Nursery.”
In the distance is a verdant mountainside with
a stream flowing to an ocean bay where an inset painting depicts coral teaming with reef fish and honu.
In Hawai‘i, we use the words “mauka” and “makai” frequently to give directions: A house, business or road toward the mountain is mauka; toward the ocean is makai. Put them together, “mauka to makai,” and we get a profound statement about the interconnectedness of the land and ocean.
Here on Maui, whether you recognize it or not, mauka to makai drives our daily life. We travel seamlessly between the two in our commutes for work and recreation. It drives our weather patterns, too – resulting in wind and rain that can be nourishing or destructive.
The ancient Hawaiians developed wisdom, tradition and practices based on the mauka-tomakai connection. “They learned to adapt to, steward and live in tandem with the environment," Pukalani-based researcher Cody Pueo Pata told me.
This sacred mauka-to-makai relationship is consummated at our beaches – the place where land steps into the ocean. Pōhuehue (beach morning glory), which graces our magazine cover, has an important task on our beaches. Above ground, we see its purple flowers, goat’s feet-shaped leaves and network of creeping vines. But the real work happens subterranean. Each plant pushes down thick taproots and sends runners that connect and stabilize the fragile shoreline from the pounding forces of nature.
When beaches wash out and are reformed, pōhuehue is usually the first plant to emerge and get back to work stabilizing the sand.
The mauka-to-makai connection has been going on for time immemorial and continues without many of us recognizing it. Featured in this issue, Maui Ocean Center has developed a new educational tour that seeks to teach us about how entwined our land and oceans are on Maui.
Scores of individuals and organizations are working for the same goal: healthier land, healthier ocean. Like pōhuehue, as each sends down deeper roots and expands its positive influence, the ancient mauka-to-makai connection gets stronger every year.
The legacy behind the popular Maui surfboard brand, KazumaSurfboards Hawai‘i.
By Serene Gunnison
Nick Ricca
WHEN MATT KAZUMA Kinoshita was a teenager , he was heading for a successful career as a professional surfer. During his days as a top-level competitor, Kinoshita clinched the coveted U.S. Surfing Championship and represented Hawai‘i on an international level at the World Surfing Championships. But around age 20, Kinoshita’s professional aspirations did a 180, as he shifted his focus from surfing to surfboard shaping.
The catalyst for this change was a man named Ben Aipa, his surfing coach who offered Kinoshita formal training in surfboard shaping.
Aipa, who passed away in early 2021, is known as one of the greatest Hawaiian surfboard shapers of all time. In the early 1970s, Aipa invented the swallow tail and split tail designs. These newfangled creations awakened a high-performance surfing revolution, which took the sport to new heights and earned the legendary shaper a place in surfing’s Hall of Fame in 1992.
Ben Aipa didn’t offer his tutelage to just anybody, and to be taken under his wing was one of the highest privileges a budding shaper could achieve. “Surfboard shaping was once a secret society that was impossible to get into,” Kinoshita said. “To be formally trained by master Ben Aipa was unheard of and I was so honored and privileged to get his training.”
After absorbing Aipa’s esteemed shaping formula, known as the “Aipa Method,” Kinoshita went on to found Kazuma Surfboards Hawaii, one of Maui’s most recognizable surfboard brands. In the late 1990s, Kinoshita opened the Kazuma Surf Factory in a weathered green building in Pauwela. The space is a veritable surfboard candy shop. Dozens of unridden surfboards line the showroom walls, tempting surfers who enter to whip out their credit card and leave with a brand-new stick. The sounds and scents of a working surfboard factory drift from the room next door, and surfers waiting on a custom board can peer into the production facility and watch their board being built in real time – a novelty in the surfboard shaping world.
While Kinoshita has found immense success as a surfboard shaper, he also dabbles in coaching, just as Aipa once did. Kinoshita
helped kickstart the careers of several eminent Maui surfers, such as Dusty Payne, Ian Walsh and Imaikalani deVault. Now, Kinoshita is focused on perpetuating the Aipa Method and passing his knowledge on to upcoming shapers. He currently mentors 250 shapers around the world, virtually helping them improve their shaping and business skills.
As Kinoshita edges toward retirement, he wants to transition production to lower volume custom builds, focusing more on high-quality, personalized surfboards. A few years from now, the Kazuma showroom might not be packed with stock boards like it is today, and Kinoshita’s shapes may become more elusive. But while the proverbial changing of the guard is inevitable, Kinoshita has made sure that Aipa’s legacy – and his own – will endure.
Nick RiccaKANAHĀ POND WILDLIFE Sanctuary is a model Hawaiian wetland teeming with endemic plants and endangered native birds. Yet Kanahā Pond is often thought of as a stinky, swampy wasteland, thanks to the pond’s unfortunate neighbors – an industrial area, Kahului Airport and the Kahului Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is responsible for the unpleasant smell that envelopes the pond on windy days. But the bad reputation for Kanaha is just an illusion. Beyond the sanctuary’s chain-link borders, you’ll find a prosperous wetland with a rich yet tumultuous history.
Wetlands once stretched from present-day Kahului Airport to the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center. In addition to providing habitat for myriad native species, these wetlands supported two royal loko pu‘uone, inland fishponds believed to have been built by King Kapi‘iohookalani in the late 1700s.
By the early 20th century, most of Kahului’s wetlands had disappeared – filled in or dried out to make room for development. Kanahā Pond was spared, though not entirely. When Kahului Harbor was dredged in 1910, portions of the pond were filled in with the material from the dredging. The
area was further altered in the 1940s when a Naval Air Station was constructed in the northeast corner of the pond.
Despite the diminishing habitat and increased human activity, the pond remained a magnet for birds from near and far. In 1952, the pond’s significance as a waterbird habitat was recognized, and Kanahā Pond was formally designated as Hawai‘i’s first wildlife refuge. Twenty years later, the Department of the Interior named Kanahā Pond a National Natural Landmark.
Today, Kanahā Pond is managed by Hawai‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife and is acknowledged as a vital habitat for federally endangered native birds like ae‘o (Hawaiian stilt). Only 1,000-2,000 Hawaiian stilts remain, but these longlegged natives are found at Kanahā Pond in abundance. Other native “regulars” include ‘auku‘u (black crowned night heron) and ‘alae ke‘oke‘o (Hawaiian coot).
In the winter months, bird numbers at the sanctuary can skyrocket into the thousands, as yearly migrants such as the kōlea
its chain-link borders and public misconceptions is a flourishing native habitat.
(Pacific golden plover) arrive in Hawai‘i en masse. Other migratory birds thrown off course may rest at Kanahā before resuming their journeys, like Canada geese and the occasional curlew. Forestry and Wildlife employees also report seeing marsh hawks, peregrine falcons, nēnē (Hawaiian geese) and even great blue herons.
Although Kanahā Pond Wildlife Sanctuary has been protected for the better part of a century, the work to safeguard the pond’s wildlife and habitat is ongoing. The DOFAW is currently installing a predator- proof fence around the entirety of the sanctuary to keep nesting birds safe from rats, cats, mongooses and dogs. Once the fence is complete, DOFAW will reopen the sanctuary’s public access trail off Amala Place, though it closes seasonally from Aug. 31 to March 31 for the breeding season.
Next time you drive past Kanahā Pond, try to see it for what it is: a healthy, springfed wetland that supports some of Hawai‘i’s last remaining waterbirds. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot groups of ae‘o balancing precariously on their long pink legs, or maybe a mighty ‘auku‘u resting stoically nearby.
This sanctuary and the protected wetlands inside its fences host thousands of flying friends, especially over the winter. Guests to the pond include endangered native birds like the Hawaiian stilt.
A WHITE CANVAS made of silky yarn awaits textile artist Cathy Detrick in her South Maui home. Stretched on a loom that takes up almost an entire ocean-view room, the yarn has been pulled, the tension perfect, and the fabric paint and bright bolts ready. A photo, sketch or watercolor positioned near the loom guides the artist as she meticulously works her magic from the bottom up.
“For wall hangings, I start with all-white chenille or silk threads and paint them as I go, moving up the piece,” Detrick describes. “Starting at the bottom, which might be ocean, sand or land, I work up.”
Capturing Maui’s mercurial sky can be challenging, Detrick said. “It’s always changing, never the same twice.”
With several looms going at once, she shifts focus between ongoing projects, allowing space for her artistry to breathe when faced with the occasional block. Long morning swims and snorkel sessions with
her husband help quicken the blood, fire the imagination and quell the static of 24-hour news cycles and other modern distractions.
“To live in that undersea world, however briefly, with turtles, octopuses and all kinds of amazing fish inspires me greatly,” she said.
Acclimating to island life took a few years, Detrick admits. Moving to Maui in 1999 from New England, where she enjoyed a flourishing career on Cape Cod, was a leap of faith for the professional artist. Although difficult in the beginning, Detrick has stitched together a life and reputation rooted in volcanic rock.
Today she gleans inspiration from Maui’s natural beauty and soothes her spirit in its tropical waters, the tide turning when she was invited to join Four Seasons Resort Maui’s Artists’ Showcase in the early 2000s after the director saw one of her pieces.
On most Wednesdays, you can find Detrick at the 5-star Wailea property
displaying large wall hangings that deftly reimagine nature’s raw majesty through woven thread. It’s a medium that rewards patience, Detrick acknowledges.
From designing the tapestry and warping the loom to dying the threads and knotting the hem, the process is more tortoise than hare – taking about a week to prep before the metamorphosis can begin. “There’s something quite beautiful about having to keep 650 white threads in order with perfect tension. It’s very meditative,” Detrick said – a quality organic to her work.
“I try to make art with complementary color interaction and balance that makes the viewer feel peaceful,” she said. “That’s what I strive for – beauty and peace.”
To view or purchase Cathy Detrick originals, visit catherinedetrick.com. The artist will resume her Four Seasons residency, Wednesdays 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., in September 2023.
Jason MooreTextile artist Cathy Detrick reflects the sea and sand.
Owner Romela Agbayani designs and sews these adorable Hawaiian dresses and accessories for 18-inch American Girl dolls, as well as matching dresses and accessories for girls of all ages.
808-661-1760
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foreverhandamaui.com
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Those navigating the outdoor walkways enjoy endemic and canoe plants in a rainbow of colors.
Left, ‘awapuhi ‘ula‘ula (red ginger); top right, pōhuehue (beach morning glory); right, leaves and berries of the ‘ākia shrub.
t the Maui Ocean Center, visitors might hardly notice the plants that line the aquarium’s outdoor walkways. After all, their heads are filled with visions of kaleidoscopic corals and apex ocean predators – and to the untrained eye, shrubs and vines and flowers are decidedly less exciting. But things are starting to change.
This summer, the Maui Ocean Center debuted a Hawaiian Culture and Plant Tour, illuminating the aquarium’s motley of native, endemic and canoe plants (plants brought to the islands by voyaging Polynesians).
It’s a balmy Tuesday morning as a small group gathers near the aquarium entrance for
the second-ever Hawaiian Culture and Plant Tour, led by Maui Ocean Center naturalists Sara and Kahiau. Sara is quick to answer the question on everyone’s mind: Why would an aquarium host a tour about plants?
“Anything that happens up in the mountains is going to affect what goes on in our waters,” Sara replied. “If you remove all of the plants from an area and it rains, all of that soil, all of those nutrients, fertilizers, runoff, that is going to hit the oceans and start to degrade our coral reefs.”
But it’s not just the ecological relationship between mauka (upland) and makai (sea) that this excursion aims to explore. In keeping
with Maui Ocean Center’s commitment to honoring and showcasing Hawaiian culture, the 90-minute tour takes deep dives into plants’ role in Hawaiian life.
Hawaiians recognized the connection between plants and marine life. This parallel laid the foundation for many Hawaiian cultural pillars. As Sara leads the group to a small alahe‘e bush – a native shrub with glossy, deep green leaves and bunches of tiny fragrant white flowers – she recites a passage from the kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant.
“Hanau ka he‘e noho i kai. Kia‘i ia e ka alahe‘e noho i uka. Born is the octopus (or squid) living in the sea, guarded by the alahe‘e living on land.”
Hawaiians believed that one species’ degradation would lead to its counterpart's decline. “They’re considered the guardians of each other,” Sara said. “They cannot exist without one another.”
This belief of interconnectedness also shaped Hawai‘i’s ancient ahupua‘a, or land division system, which divided parcels from the mountain tops to the sea. Sara passes around a Maui ahupua‘a map as guests try to pick out the ahupua‘a in which their home or hotel is located.
The excursion continues past vibrant orange ‘ilima flowers and woody tangles of hau bush. Sara sheds light on the many uses of each plant – whether medicinal, utilitarian or spiritual – and captures her audience with gripping legends starring the flora.
“If you ever swim in freshwater [in Hawai‘i,] you have to watch out for someone known as the mo‘o wahine,” she says while the group gathers around a cluster of green ti plants.
The mo‘o wahine – which translates to lizard woman – is known to inhabit large pools of fresh water. “In order to check if she is home or not, you’re gonna take a leaf from the ti plant and float it right on top of the water. If it sinks, it means it’s not safe to swim. She’s home. She might drag you down with her. But if it floats, it means that it’s safe to swim that day.”
The tour moves into a shaded pavilion near the sea turtle exhibit. It’s time to learn about – and taste – the most vital Hawaiian plant of all: kalo. Also known as taro, kalo was once the main dietary staple in Hawai‘i and is believed to be the elder sibling of humanity.
As Sara passes around a platter of kalo, purple sweet potato and poi, Kahiau sits down before a lump of steamed kalo. Using a handmade papa ku‘i ‘ai (poi pounding board) and a pohaku ku‘i ‘ai (poi pounding stone), he begins to methodically beat the kalo until it turns into a gelatinous ball of poi. Kahiau makes the process look easy, but as the guests sit down for their turn, it becomes clear how much skill this practice takes.
After rinsing the starch from their fingers, guests filter off to explore the rest of the aquarium. The tour might be over, but the plant showcase continues at Seascape, the Maui Ocean Center’s onsite restaurant.
Seascape has long been a sustainability luminary in Maui’s restaurant industry, but now the restaurant is taking strides to craft inventive dishes using various canoe plants like ‘ulu and kalo. One such dish is the kalo poke nachos, which is made with diced and
fried kalo, avocado salsa, kukui nuts and kalo chips. When available, the diced kalo is sourced from a small māla (dry taro patch) located mere feet from some of the restaurant’s outdoor tables.
While public awareness of Hawai‘i’s native, endemic and canoe plants have dwindled over time, it’s not unreasonable to think that these species could experience a cultural and culinary renaissance – especially when organizations like the Maui Ocean Center
and the Seascape give them a platform. And perhaps this revival could lead to a renewed awareness of how our actions on land affect the ocean. After all, everything is connected – and the proof is in the plants.
The Hawaiian Culture and Plant Tour was developed in partnership with Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. A portion of each ticket sale goes to support MNBG. Tours are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. $34.95.
Tours at the Maui Ocean Center are as colorful as they are educational. Guests learn about plant species, their history and cultural stories, like the flowering ‘ōhi‘a lehua tree. Lucky tour participants are also invited to “taste” Hawai‘i with kalo (also called taro), considered the elder sibling of humanity. It is served on the tour with purple sweet potato and poi, which is made from kalo.
