E ena Hä ena I Ka Ehu Kai Fierce Is Hä ena In The Sea Spray

Transcription

1 E ena Hä ena I Ka Ehu Kai Fierce Is Hä ena In The Sea Spray The original artwork for this poster was created by Karen Petras. The text was written by Joan Conrow with input from Carl Berg, Don Heacock, Jason Leonard, Kepa Maly, Maura O Connor, Ruth Uemura, and Kawika Winter. The design and layout was done by Helga Jervis, Graphic Design, and the poster was printed in Honolulu by Valenti Print Group. Mahalo nui loa to the following individuals and organizations for sponsoring this year s poster: AECOS, Inc.; Ahahui Mälama I Ka Lökahi; Aka ula School; Annette s Adventures; S. W. Bartlett; Andy Bushnell; Kimo Campbell; Scott & Debra Cole; Community Conservation Network; Tom & Nancy Crawford; Cynthia Daigle; Heidi Elston; Environment Hawai i; Falko Partners; Cindy & Glenn Frey; Betsy Harrison Gagné in memory of Wayne C. Gagné; Robert B. Green; Hanalei Watershed Hui; Hawai i Audubon Society; Hawai i Botanical Society; Hawai i Department of Health, Environmental Planning; Hawai i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Wildlife & Division of State Parks; Hawai i Forest & Trail; Hawai i Nature Center; Hawai i People s Fund; Hawai i Tourism Authority; Nelson & Jennifer Ho; Horizon, Inc.; International Year of the Reef Hawai i; KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance; Kai Pono Builders, Inc.; Kökua Hawai i Foundation; Fred Kraus & Ezra Kraus Teodoro; Doug Lamerson; Dolores Layton; The Lyon Foundation; Mälama Hawai i; Sandy & Larry Margler; National Wildlife Federation; National Tropical Botanical Garden, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Jay W. Nelson; Steve, Gigi, & Kekoa Olive; Personius Ohana; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Carol Philips; Pohaku T s; Protect Puakö; Reef Check Hawai i; George Robertson; Claire Shimabukuro & Mark Merlin; Sierra Club, Kaua i Group of the Hawai i Chapter; Snorkel Bob s Hawai i; Scot Lucas Spicer; Jean StavRue; The Nature Conservancy of Hawai i; Philip A. Thomas; TREE Center Hawai i; Murray & Phyllis Turnbull; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Ron & Charlotte Walker; Jacey Waterhouse & Adam Spurgat; Jessica Wooley & David Henkin Ohana; Marjorie Ziegler in memory of Alan C. Ziegler; and Poster Partners wishing to remain anonymous Conservation Council for Hawai i P.O. Box 2923, Honolulu, HI (808) info@conservehi.org Hawai i affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation C Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink

2 E ena Hä ena I Ka Ehu Kai Fierce Is Hä ena In The Sea Spray Water on the Move Hä ena, which means red hot or wrathful, describes the raging sea that seasonally pounds the north shore of Kaua i, creating a mist that rises like steam off the water. When the big north swells roll in, they break on the reef and explode toward shore in a fury of white foam. In summer, the turquoise water covering the reef at Hä ena is so still and clear that you can easily see colorful fish, knobby coral formations, fat sea cucumbers, and other marine life just below the surface. Marine plants and animals are beautifully adapted to the changing seasons and the daily tidal rhythms at Hä ena. Life on the Reef Coral polyps one of the sea s simplest animals are the marine architects that build the reef. Coral polyps take in calcium from seawater and convert it into a limestone exoskelton. Each new generation builds upon the last, but they do not do it alone. Coral polyps work in unity with tiny algae called zooxanthellae. Together, they form a unique symbiotic relationship to create the food and energy that each one needs to survive. Many animals are drawn to the reef for shelter and food. Among them are the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, ïlio holo kai, and the threatened green sea turtle, honu, which feeds on limu (seaweed) growing on the reef. Small fish, such as the hïnälea lauwili and the graceful humuhumunukunukuäpua a Hawai i s state fish find protection in the nooks and crannies of the reef. Overhead, ä (brown boobies) and koa e ula (red-tailed tropicbirds) dive for their fishy meals, keeping watch for iwa, the giant frigates that will steal another bird s catch. Over time, fragments of coral break off and are ground down by waves. Colorful uhu (parrotfish) feeding on the coral contribute to this grinding action, as does the native marine algae, Halimeda. The result is the coarse, white sand that thickly blankets the beautiful beaches of Hä ena. Because the Hä ena reef is in good shape, it provides habitat for a wide variety of sea creatures. This diversity is the mark of a healthy ecosystem, which benefits everyone in the community, including those who enjoy catching and eating all the different types of fish, limu, and other delicacies. Some folks use nets, poles, and spears to catch fish, including manini, äweoweo, äholehole, nenue, akule, and kümü. Others dive for he e (octopus) and lobster, gather limu, or collect opihi (limpets) from the rocks. In this way, they continue a tradition of subsistence fishing and gathering that goes back many generations. Cultural Traditions The remains of fishponds and house platforms remind us that Hawaiians have fished and farmed along the Ha ena reef for more than 1,000 years. Hawaiians depended on seafood as a main source of protein, so they carefully managed their ocean resources to ensure a consistent supply. Women and children did much of the gathering, using nets and traps to gather on the reef. Everyone helped in the hukilau, where a school of fish was gathered in a large net spread across a bay. Hawaiians also engineered several types of aquaculture, building walled ponds along the coast where they could raise and harvest fish. Their conservation efforts were practical and based on observation, but also rooted in spirituality. The chiefs appointed konohiki (overseers) to strictly enforce seasonal kapu (conservation) periods when marine life was not taken. Hawaiians also tended ko a, natural areas in the water where fish tended to congregate. They offered prayers and food in recognition that the sea life that fed them was a gift from the gods. It was common to feed ko a during the kapu season, and then harvest fish during the noa season. Practices differed around the Islands, but the concept of always giving before taking is expressed in this old proverb: Hänai a ai You feed and then you eat. Connecting Land and Sea Hawaiians believe that things born on land have a companion in the sea, and so the two areas cannot be separated. From ancient times, the people recognized that the health of a reef depends on the health of the forest and the coastal areas that lie above it. Knowing this connection, they divided each island into ahupua a. These sections of land usually extend from the top of the mountains to the outer edge of the reef. Within each ahupua a, people had the resources needed to sustain life. An awareness of the vital link between land and sea continues in the Hä ena ahupua a today. Streams that run through the valleys of Mänoa and Limahuli flow onto the Ha ena reefs, irrigating lo i, or kalo (taro) patches, along the way. Hä ena farmers today use lo i and auwai (irrigation channels) built in much earlier times. Over this long, continuous use of the reef and surrounding coastal areas, people have accumulated a great deal of knowledge about fishing holes, ocean conditions, seasonal changes, and the life history and behavior of marine animals. Residents today value this ancient wealth of information. They have made efforts to learn from their küpuna (elders) and pass the teachings on to the next generation. They realize that they must mälama (care for) the resources on land to protect those at sea. As

3 a result, Hä ena has one of the healthiest reefs in Hawai i, providing marine species with a home, and people with food. A state of pono (that which is right or good) exists when the balance between land and sea, giving and taking, is achieved. Sense of Place The Hä ena reef lies in the district of Halele a, and stretches almost the entire length of the ahupua a. At the eastern end, lies the bay known as Mäkua, while the lagoon of Kë ë define the boundary on the west. More than 40 Hawaiian place names are associated with various areas on the reef. The western end of Hä ena is marked by the distinctive mountain known as Makana. It was here that men climbed the steep pali (cliff), carrying bundles of päpala and hau logs wrapped with strands of native cordage. Once atop the 1,100-foot peak, they made a bonfire and dropped their blazing firebrands, öahi, over the cliff, where they were picked up by the breeze and carried like burning embers out to sea. These dramatic ceremonies welcomed chiefs and marked activities at the famous schools of Hä ena, where students learned the history and geneaology of chiefs or the sacred forms of hula. The Kauluolaka heiau was dedicated to the goddess Laka, and the site is still tended by hälau hula that come to pay homage to the goddess of the forest and dance. Hä ena is also known for its coastal caves. Waiokapala e, one of two wet caves, is said to get the brownish tint of its water from the hair of a mo o (water spirit) maiden who once lived there. The large dry cave, Maniniholo, was named for the head fisherman of the Menehune. He and his men dug the cave to catch and kill the small e epa (imps) that lived in cracks in the rock and came out to steal the Menehune s fish. It was at Mäkua Bay that the Menehune boarded their canoes and sailed away from Kaua i forever. Stewards of the Reef Those who depend on the Hä ena reef for food, along with others who value this ecosystem, feel that it is important for local residents to play a key role in managing its resources. In 2006, they asked the state Legislature to designate Hä ena a community-based subsistence fisheries area. It is one of the first such areas in Hawai i. Community members are now identifying the reef s resources, prioritizing the threats and setting goals and objectives that will allow them to effectively protect the reef. Local youth have become involved through the Makai Watch program, which gives them a role in caring for their reef and educating others. The Hu i Maka äinana o Makana, a group of traditional Hä ena families, has taken the lead in this effort, in collaboration with the National Tropical Botanical Garden s Limahuli Garden and Preserve and the Community Conservation Network. Meanwhile, NTBG is working to keep the forest and streams of Limahuli Valley healthy by removing invasive weeds and planting native species. By taking an ahupua a approach, NTBG is ensuring that its activities on land have a positive affect on the reef and sea. By supporting one another and working together, the people of Hä ena are successfully tending both the land and sea. Threats to Coral Reefs In winter months, it is easy to see how the Ha ena reef, like reefs throughout the Islands, cushions the shoreline from the full force of the ocean. The importance of reefs in sheltering the marine plants and animals and protecting our shorelines is vital to our lives in the Islands. Protecting the reefs is everyone s kuleana (responsibility). Everything flows from the land to the sea via streams in the country and storm drains and sewers in the city. The streams carry the nutrients needed by marine life in nearshore waters. But they can also transport chemicals, diseases, trash and sediment that choke and kill a reef. Unpolluted freshwater, wai ola, is key to a healthy reef. One of the biggest threats to coral reefs is fine silt, which runs off the land and settles like a smothering blanket over the living reef. This runoff is caused by activities that remove vegetation from the soil, exposing it to the eroding effects of rain and wind. These activities include: Development Introduced grazing and browsing mammals Grading Large-scale agriculture Wildfires Global warming is another growing concern. It causes coral bleaching when corals expel their zooxanthellae and loose their color. Warmer ocean temperatures and excessive carbon dioxide in the air also cause ocean waters to become more acidic, which prevents corals from forming their limestone exoskeletons. Other threats are: Overfishing Intensive collecting by the aquarium trade Land-based pollution from fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and petrochemicals Sewage Roadside spraying and scraping Recreational activities Invasive species Coral diseases, pathogens, viruses, and bacteria In caring for our coral reefs today, we can still be guided by the ancient value of giving whether in the form of prayers, chants, offerings, or labor before taking.

4 Did You Know? Coral reefs are the world s largest living structures, covering some 410,000 acres in Hawai i. Reefs grow very slowly, so damage to coral formations takes a long time to repair. Some of the coral colonies in Hawai i are nearly 1,000 years old. Up to a million zooxanthellae can live within a coral head. Hawaiian reefs are distinct because they formed around volcanic islands in the middle of the Pacific, where they are exposed to strong trade winds and large open-ocean swells. These conditions, and Hawai i s isolation, resulted in the creation of a unique reef ecosystem. More than 5,000 different types of plants and animals live on Hawaiian reefs, and a quarter of them are endemic, found nowhere else in the world. In more modern times, Ha ena was the site of Taylor Camp, an alternative-lifestyle enclave in the 1960s, and the place where the puka shell jewelry craze is thought to have begun. Mälama the Reefs How can you help mälama coral reefs? Get to know them! Avoid stepping on coral. Obey fishing and gathering regulations. Reduce your carbon footprint and global warming. Eliminate, or minimize, the use of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. Reduce, reuse, and recycle; do not litter. Participate in reforestation and invasive species control projects to maintain healthy forests. Join conservation efforts, such as removing debris from streams, the beach and the ocean, and monitoring water quality and fish populations. Join Conservation Council for Hawai i! Hawaiian Terms ahupua a... land division that stretches from the mountains to the reef s edge ai... eat, feed auwai... ditch that brings water to a lo`i e ena... fearsome, untamed e epa... imps ehu... spray, mist, foam hänai... raise, rear, feed hau... sprawling hibiscus tree that grows near streams heiau... temple, place of worship hukilau... fishing with a seine hälau hula... school of hula kai... sea kalo... taro kapu... taboo, forbidden ko a... fishing grounds, fishing shrine konohiki... overseer of an ahupua a kuleana... responsibility küpuna... elders, ancestors limu... algae, seaweed lo i... irrigated field for growing kalo mälama... to care for, cherish, protect Menehune... legendary race of small people mo o... supernatural creature that could take dual forms, water spirit (lizard) noa... period when a kapu is lifted öahi... firebrands päpala... a native shrub with lightweight wood pali... cliff pono... right, good, a state of balance puka... hole wai ola... living water Resources Community Organizations Community Conservation Network Makai Watch Partner P.O. Box 4674 Honolulu, HI (808) Hui Maka äinana o Makana P.O. Box 225 Hanalei, HI (808) Limahuli Garden and Preserve National Tropical Botanical Garden P.O. Box 808 Hanalei, HI The Nature Conservancy of Hawai i Makai Watch Partner 923 Nu uanu Avenue Honolulu, HI (808) Reef Check Hawai i P.O. Box 621 Honolulu, HI (808) Websites Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Hawai i Coral Reef Initiative Hawai i International Year of the Reef National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Coral Reef Conservation Program Publications National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the Main Hawaiian Islands nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/coralreef/ coral2008/welcome.html

5 Plants and Animals on Poster Mammals Reptiles Fishes Corals Other Invertebrates Algae Hawaiian monk seal... ïlio holo kai... Monachus schauinslandi green sea turtle... honu... Chelonia mydas convict surgeonfish... manini... Acanthurus triostegus helmet gurnard... loloa u... Dactyloptena orientalis forcepsfish... lauwiliwilinukunuku oi oi... Forcipiger flavissimus saddle wrasse... hïnälea lauwili... Thalassoma duperrey Hawaiian bigeye... äweoweo... Priacanthus meeki Moorish idol... kihikihi... Zanclus cornutus reef triggerfish... humuhumunukunukuäpua a... Rhinecanthus rectangulus Hawaiian dascyllus... älo ilo i... Dascyllus albisella spotted box fish... moa... Ostracion meleagris brown surgeonfish... mä i i i... Acanthurus nigrofuscus belted wrasse... ömaka... Stethojulis balteata cauliflower coral... Pocillopora meandrina Hawaiian blue rice coral... Montipora flabellata Hawaiian finger coral... Porites compressa lace coral... Pocillopora damicornis lobe coral... Porites lobata plate coral... Porites monticulosa cushion star... Culcita novaeguineae day octopus... he e... Octopus cyanea featherduster worm... Sabellastarte sp. long-spined sea urchin... wana... Echinothrix diadema rock boring sea urchin... ina... Echinometra mathaei scarlet cleaner shrimp... Lysmata amboinensis sea cucumber... loli... Holothuria atra slate pencil sea urchin... hä uke uke ula ula... Heterocentrotus mammillatus flea cone shell... Conus pulicarius calcareous seaweed... Halimeda sp. sea grape... Caulerpa racemosa red seaweed... Pterocladia capillacea sea lettuce... limu päpahapaha... Ulva fasciata rat s foot seaweed... limu wäwae iole... Codium edule Resources cont. Andrade. Carlos Hä ena Through the Eyes of the Ancestors. University of Hawai i Press. Fenner, Douglas Corals of Hawai i. Mutual Publishing. Honolulu, HI. The Nature Conservancy of Hawai i and Hawai i Department of Land and Natural Resources The Living Reef. northamerica/states/hawaii/marine/ Gulko, David Hawaiian Coral Reef Ecology. Mutual Publishing. Honolulu, HI. The Pacific American Foundation Aloha Äina. A Teacher s Guide to the Ahupua a. Grade 7 Coral Reefs (This guide was originally written as an investigation of Käne ohe Bay, O ahu, has since been adapted for Mä alaea Bay, Maui, and is currently being adapted for additional sites on Kaua i and Hawai i.) For more information, contact Maura O Connor at mauraoc@hawaii.rr.com. This poster can be found at the Conservation Council for Hawai i website: For copies, contact CCH at (808) or info@conservehi.org Conservation Council for Hawai i