POP TOUR
Nani Kaneohe
Politics of Place Tour Presentation by Richard Lindley
Kaneohe in particular as well as all of Hawaii is home to very
Context: Kaneohe has some of the most beautiful hikes in the world but unknowing to most, it is being overrun by invasive plants. We need to educate the populous on the history of the forest and show people how they can get involved to help care for the land. My POP tour showcases some of Kaneohe’s best hikes while showing the truth behind most of these plants.
beautiful native plants and forest. There is estimated to be less than about 5% of Hawaii’s natural plants/forest left due to colonization and foreign aggressive plants wiping out the native species. Since I was born and raised in Kaneohe, Hawaii I want to show the beautiful diverse spots on this side as well as the unique plants/species we have here. We can all do our part in volunteering to plant more native species of trees and cut down the invasive species that has taken over much of the island. We can start by emphasizing eight important and beautiful places of significance in Kaneohe that we can have fun and hike to and we can help by identifying the good native plants we want to flourish and keep while targeting the bad unwelcome plants we want to destroy.
PoP Tour - Kaneohe Hiking Map He’eia State Park
Stairway to Heaven
Friendship Garden
Kawainui Trail
Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden Koolau Golf Trail
Olomana Pali Puka
Native Plant Examples
Loulu
Photo from http://www2. hawaii. edu/~eherring/hawnprop/prispp.htm
Invasive Examples Strawberry Guava Tree
Black Twig Borer
picture from entnemdept.ful.edu
Kosters Curse Plant
picture from wildlifeofhawaii.com
picture from wildlifeofhawaii.com
INFORMATION
Roughly One Thousand Native plant species to Hawaii that we know of. 90% are endemic to Hawaii(only found here). Over 300 are endangered. 238 current plants are PEP(Plant Extinction Prevention) plants which means their are fewer than 50 plants in the wild. 99% of Native plants gone below 2000 feet. Professor Morden says your more likely to see more native plants above 2000 feet because less of the land was disturbed from human construction or agriculture. Weeds are any plants out of place, can be tree size. Tip: When taking out weeds turn upside down let roots die or it can reroot.
Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
Home to the most labeled amount of plants as well as one of Kaneohe’s most scenic views is Ho’omaluhia Botanical garden. This garden features a nice big pond/miniature lake with a small secluded island in the middle. It is popular for families taking their kids fishing and feeding the ducks in the small pond. This place also has a visitors center and often showcases local art to the populous. It is so beautiful that even some popular movies were filmed there. The garden showcases native indigenous plants as well as some that were purposely brought in from around the world. However like most of our islands forest, Hoomaluhia although well kept also has invasive species growing along with their
Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
featured plants. The plants here are very aggressive and quickly take up large amounts of soil that make it difficult for most native plants to prosper. We can all help and volunteer to spend a few moments to dig out some of these bad plants each time we visit this popular sight.
Friendship Garden Little known to most outsiders is a nice garden trail with many marked plants. The trail is a little steep for a casual walk but eventually goes up a little mountain between Kaneohe and Kailua that shows a breathtaking view of both towns as well as the bay. Of course their is a unsightly cellphone tower at the top, but besides that, the view is gorgeous. Like most other places, this place has many invasive plants overcrowding the hillside and the caretakers ask for volunteers to help upkeep the trail.
Friendship Garden
Friendship Garden
Invasive Plant: Philo Dendrons heart plants, tree loving dendron, wraps around tree attaching on bark , bad invasive species in wet forest. Stops seeds from germinating.
Koolau Golf Trail
Koolau Golf Hike Originally listed as minor because I don’t want people finding my secret waterfall spot is this little hike behind Koolau Golf Course. You can access it by parking at the golf course
Ko’olau Golf Trail
because the trail head is right next to the parking lot. Anyway whats really interesting is this hike leads to the Pali lookout if you continue up the path for about 30 minutes at a slow pace. However if you take a right at fork in the trail about 10 minutes into the trail then follow it for another 10 minutes you will find a little beautiful waterfall. This hike is little known so their is rarely any people going down that path. Anyway again this hike also has massive amounts of bad plants so do feel free to hinder their growth and kill a couple.
Pali Puka Pali Puka Pali Puka showcases one of the most beautiful views of
Pali Puka
Kaneohe and its ocean bay in a nice natural oval frame. Pali Puka is a short hike up from the popular Pali Look out but most don’t venture up their because of its dangerous cliffs and narrow crossings. For any of us hiking this nice trail we can all help by taking away invasive weeds and aggressive plants on the way up/down.
He’eia State Park
He’eia State Park
He’eia State Park Home to a huge forest Heeia park has many invasive plants. When I was younger over a decade ago and with the community service organization called the Key Club in our high school, we volunteered to hack away at the invasive species that constantly plagues the park. We took away hundreds of pounds of these aggressive vines that would grow on the big trees which would over exhaust them hindering their ability to grow and would even kill them. I urge people to join community service organizations like this one and help with activities like that one. One good community organization for adults is called Kiwanis which some of my family members were a part of and even held positions in their leadership office.
Stairway to Heaven
Stairway To Heaven Listed as a minor trail because technically/legally no ones really allowed on this trail and the state emphasizes this by keeping a guard their 24 seven. Possible reasons are because many hikers who venture up their anyway often have to be helicoptered off due to exhaustion or injury. This hike is very vertical and leads to the best view of all in
Stairway to Heaven
Kaneohe. It was originally built by the military for a satellite relay but that has long been obsolete. Anyway if you can get pass the guard or come from behind on the other side of the island from Moanalua valley, you can enjoy this beautiful view. I wouldn’t recommend trying to kill the invasive plants that lay outside the relative safety of the stairs because its usually a perilous cliff next to you but hey‌. if your hardcore enough, murder them plants good!
Olomana
Olomana Listed as one of my minor destinations for labeling sake partly because its technically in Kailua, I wouldn’t consider this mountain hike minor because its considered medium to high difficulty simply because a few hikers died there. It has 3 mountainous peaks and at some parts you are climbing vertically utilizing ropes to get to the top. Anyway even though its technically in Kailua, you have a great view of Kaneohe as well. Remember all hikes have invasive plants in Hawaii because over 95% of the natural forrest was lost due to foreign plants so again remember you can always help a little by killing some invasive plants along the way.
Olomana
Kawainui Regional Trail
Kawainui Trail Listed as minor because technically in Kailua, this trail leads to a remarkable view not many people know about. People don’t usually come here because its across the street from the town Dump/Recycling center. However its only a three minute walk to get to a scenic view between Kaneohe
Kawainui Trail
and Kailua. This trail has marked plants as well as a little stage to hold classrooms while outside surrounded by nature.
Sources and information to get involved in caring for Hawaii’s land! Kaneohe: A History of Change (1778 - 1950) by Dennis M. Devaney, Marion Kelly, Polly Jae Lee, and Lee S. Motteler Professor / Deputy Director of PCSU Cliff Gordon. Interviewed 19 April 2016 OISC (Oahu Invasive Species Committee)
PCSU (Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit)
Koolau Mountain Watershed Partnership
KIWANIS
Kako’o Oiwi : http://kakoooiwi.org/fullwidth-page
PEP(Plant Extinction Prevention) http://friendshipgarden.org/id4.html http://www.friendsofhonolulubotanicalgardens.com/Hooma.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olomana_(mountain) http://www.to-hawaii.com/oahu/attractions/stairwaytoheaven.php http://www.heeiastatepark.org