Hawaiʻi's Natural Area Reserve System (NARS)
Around the world, nature and its resources are threatened. In Hawaiʻi, safeguarding the environment is a way of life.
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Kuʻia
Rare, rarer, and rarest. Ku‘ia NAR is known for its remarkable array of plants and animals. The forests in Ku‘ia have diversity higher than most of the forests in the state! Most of the Kauaʻi diverse lowland mesic forests have been destroyed, making protecting the Ku‘ia NAR vital to maintaining the unique biodiversity of Hawaiʻi. Keep an eye out! If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of Hawaiʻi lady's nightcap, ʻakoko (Kauaʻi spurge), the kōpiko tree, or the Kauaʻi digit fern, only found on the island of Kauaʻi.
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Hono O Nā Pali
The sea cliff landscape. Hono O Nā Pali NAR neighbors the famous NāPali Coast, a landscape known around the world. The Reserve stretches from sea level to the picturesque NāPali mountain tops and makes up part of the Kalalau trail. The area contains over 80 different plant groups, some of which are only found on the island of Kauaʻi! With such a close connection to the sea, Hono O Nā Pali is adorned with the largest known colonies of soaring seabirds like the ʻaʻo (Newell’s Shearwater), and ʻuaʻu, the Hawaiian petrel. And within the hala, lama, and ʻōhiʻa forests are rare Hawaiian honeycreeper birds; the Kauaʻi ʻamakihi, the ʻakekeʻe, and the 'akikiki.
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Kaʻena Point
The last coastal dune. Kaʻena NAR protects a portion of the largest coastal dune in the main Hawaiian Islands and the last on Oʻahu. Kaʻena is culturally important as it is a Leina a Kaʻuhane, the leaping place of souls. The dunes are seasonally home to the soaring seabirds, ʻuaʻu kani (wedge-tailed shearwaters) and mōlī, (Laysan albatross); they're also home to the endangered and endemic Hawaiian yellow-faced bees. The birds nest amongst native shrubs and rare plants like ʻohai (Oʻahu riverhemp) and ʻakoko (Alpine sandmat). Along the shoreline, the Endangered Hawaiian monk seals haul out to enjoy the beating sun on their backs. In the winter months, if you trace your eyes along the horizon, you might spot humpback whales.
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Pahole
Gulches as diverse as the Hawaiian rain forests. The gulches in Pahole NAR contain more than 160 different native plant and animal species. These gulches are the most diverse ecosystem in the Hawaiian Islands! Throughout the gulches, you'll find plants such as different species of hāhā, and ʻōhā wai (Delissea). The gulches lead up to higher elevations, where lush native forests bloom beautiful flowers that make homes for Hawaiian honeycreepers like, ʻapapane and the Oʻahu ʻamakihi. If you look closely inside the plants, you may find jewels of the forest surrounding you, Oʻahu tree snails.
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Mount Kaʻala
Oʻahu's tallest peak and largest bog. Mount Kaʻala is located within the Waiʻanae Mountain Range and encompasses the tallest peak in Oʻahu, reaching 4, 025 feet! Difficult ridge trails lead through a cloud forest to the summit bog with spectacular views. Below the summit, the NAR consists of steep slopes that lead to a diverse forest filled with rare plants, some of which are only found from Kaʻala Reserve, such as, koliʻi (Trematolobelia kaalaensis) and wawaeʻiole (Huperzia mannii).
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Kaluanui
The key to our water supply. Kaluanui Reserve is the first NAR to be established in the Ko‘olau Mountains. It preserves one of the most pristine streams on the island, Kaluanui stream, which is the only perennial stream on O‘ahu that flows from the mountain to the sea in its natural state and isn't channelized or diverted. It is also the prime habitat for all five of Hawai‘i's freshwater fish, four of which are found nowhere else in the world! Surrounding the stream are ʻōhiʻa trees and uluhe ferns (Old world forked fern) forests, containing over 29 endangered or rare species of plants, snails, and damselflies!
A series of large waterfalls border the lower section of the Reserve, flowing into the famous Kaliuwa‘a Falls (Sacred Falls). While most of Kaluanui Reserve is remote and difficult to access, the water that flows freely through this Reserve cycles into one of the most important aquifers in Oahu and ensures a water supply for years to come.
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Pia Valley
Rare forests of the southern Koʻolau mountain range. Pia Valley is the only protected forest in the southern Koʻolau mountain range. Within the forests is a diverse range of plant and animal species, and the area has great potential to reintroduce endangered species back into the wild. For example, the largest population in the world of the rare flowering plant, hāhā or the Koolau Range rollandia is found here! The combination of healthy forests and steep valley walls make Pia Valley an important Reserve for watershed protection, ensuring water supply for the island of Oʻahu.
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Puʻu Aliʻi
Some of the last native forests on Molokaʻi. The wet and dense groves of koa, ʻōhiʻa, and the musical ʻōlapa trees play an important role in Molokaʻi's water system and are home to an abundance of rare Hawaiian tree snails, known as the ‘jewels of the forest.’ These forests were also once the home to the forest birds, the ʻākohekohe (crested honeycreeper), and kiwikiu (Maui parrotbill). The Forest bird recovery team has selected Puʻu Aliʻi as one of the habitats for the recovery of these two native birds from extinction.
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Olokuʻi
The hidden forest. Hidden away on the northeastern slopes of Molokaʻi. Olokuʻi NAR stretches from mauka to makai, or mountain to sea. The mauka, summit areas, are on a remote, isolated plateau that contains one of the few rain forests in the state untouched by invasive hooved animals. This fact makes Olokuʻi forests especially important! Over 25 types of rare plants and animals are found within the Reserve.
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West Maui
Wet bogs and plants found nowhere else in the world. The West Maui NAR is split into four sections: Honokowai, Kahakuloa, Panaewa, and Lihau. Each section with its own climate and set of rare plants and animals, such as seabird nesting habitat for ʻaʻo (Newell's Shearwater) in Lihau, the greensword in Honokowai, the Hawaiian lobelia in Honokowai, among others! West Maui is a haven for plants and animals. Protection of the West Maui mountains is a priority because they contain headwaters for 17 perennial streams, whose water discharge is one of the highest in the state! The largest section of the Reserve, Kahakuloa, features the Kahakuloa stream, which is unique for its flow directly into the ocean, creating a rich aquatic fauna.
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ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu
The trailblazer Reserve. ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu was the first NAR to be created and it is the only Reserve that includes ocean areas, protecting iconic coral reefs. The nearshore reef of ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu is one of the most important areas across the Islands! The Reserve is also archeologically and biologically spectacular. The Reserve protects beautiful anchialine pools that have global importance for being the home to aquatic species like the anchialine swimming crab (pele ramseyi), found nowhere else in the world! Then and now, this land has ties to Hawaiian culture and traditional practices such as sacred burial grounds and an ancient fishing village, Maʻonakala.
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Kanaio
Dry forests, few left, and some of the best. Kanaio features some of the best remaining native dryland forests in the state. Previously rough lava terrain, Kanaio showcases a new age of vegetation, featuring wiliwili (Hawaiian coral) trees and the largest stand of hala pepe in the state! The Lua'alala lavatube also runs through Kanaio.
Twenty-two other dryland forest species have been observed, including the rare koaia (dwarf koa), as well as the endangered grass, kāmanomano (sandbur).
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Nakula
Thousands of trees—enhancing bird habitat, and carbon offsetting. Nakula protects the Haleakalā koa forest community, which has an understory of 20 species of rare plants, 8 of which are Endangered, including, nohoanu (Hawaiian red-flowered geranium). Currently, thousands of trees are being planted at Nakula as part of a forest carbon project in collaboration with neighboring lands. This project has already increased the populations of rare forest birds like the ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrel), nēnē (Hawaiian goose), and pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owl) by expanding their habitat.
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Hanawi
Biodiversity at its finest. Hanawi is filled with countless one-of-a-kind plants found only from this region, like hinahina (silversword), hāhā nui (prickly Cyanea), and kāʻeʻe, the Sea Bean plant. The Reserve lies within the Koʻolau Forest Reserve and supports watershed efforts in the upper East Maui Forests. The forests of Hanawi contain some of the largest concentrations of Hawaiian forest birds! Rare birds like the ʻiʻiwi (scarlet honeycreeper), kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill), and ʻākohekohe (crested honeycreeper), create a buzzing forest atmosphere.
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Puʻu O ʻUmi
Cloud forests and trees that stand the test of time. Puʻu O ʻUmi Natural Area Reserve protects over 10,000 acres of ʻōhiʻa filled forests using watershed and ungulate fencing. These cloud forests are filled with endemic ferns and native birds like ʻiʻiwi. Puʻu O ʻUmi also includes two rare bog ecosystems that are home endangered tree snails and rare ʻapeʻape plants that tower up to 30 feet tall!
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Mauna Kea Ice Age
The height of protection. The Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve is on the southern flank of Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in the Hawaiian Islands. Mauna Kea is the world’s only example of a glaciated oceanic tropical volcano and this Reserve has numerous unique geological and archeological features. Lake Waiau, the state's only alpine lake, is among them. This lake is a geologic curiosity, and researchers do not understand its formation process or how it is able to retain water. Another special feature is the Mauna Kea Adz Quarry. This complex archeological site is the largest prehistoric rock quarry in the world, used by ancient Hawaiians for tool making and collecting basalt. The Ice Age Reserve is biologically diverse too, containing rare species like the Mauna Kea silversword and the palila, a critically endangered finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreeper.
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Laupāhoehoe
Where all the stars align, the productive forest. Laupāhoehoe Natural Area Reserve is a strong and healthy koa/ ʻōhiʻa forest that supports habitat for endangered birds like ʻalawī, the Hawaiʻi Creeper. The forests in Laupāhoehoe have been recognized as having the perfect combination of sunlight, elevation, climate, among other factors to create optimal productivity, supporting a complex and diverse ecosystem. This forest is a part of a national network of experimental forests and contributes to international research aimed at gaining an understanding of ecosystem change over time.
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Waiākea 1942 Lava Flow
Life after lava. The juxtaposing greens and blacks of lush plants and lava are an intriguing visual, but these natural colors are telling a bigger story: The Waiākea 1942 Lava Flow is an important NAR for tracking how forests develop on barren lava over time. This area has been recolonized by ʻōhiʻa forests and uluhe plant communities. This pioneer vegetation where plant roots shoot through hardened lava demonstrates new life while creating opportunities for other plants and animals.
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Puʻu Makaʻala
The rainforest Reserve. This tropical rainforest is filled with large ʻōhiʻa, sandalwood, koa, and acres of giant hāpuʻu, Hawaiian tree ferns. The biodiversity in this Reserve is so exceptional that one can encounter over 150 different native plants, including ʻahinahina (the Moana Loa Silversword), as well as invertebrates such as the Hawaiian happy-face spider.
Puʻu Makaʻala rainforests are the home to many of the rarest native forest birds, such as ʻakiapōlaʻau, ʻakepa, and ʻalawī, which decorating the area with a lovely natural soundtrack. This NAR was chosen as the site to release one of the most endangered species in the world, the ʻalalā (Hawaiian crow) back into the wild.
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Manukā
The wild and raw coastline. The Manukā Natural Area Reserve is the largest in the state’s Natural Area Reserve System containing over 25,000 acres and extending from sea level to 5,000 feet elevation. The undeveloped coastline borders a diverse range of other unique ecosystems, including anchialine pools, lava tubes, and an aeolian desert. Within the anchialine pools, ʻōpae ʻula, the Hawaiian red shrimp, live alongside seven other species of rare endemic shrimp. The aeolian desert is a unique geological feature, formed from rock and lava particles that were scattered by the wind, leaving behind a light impressionable surface that feels like walking on the moon! In the air above, koaʻe ʻula, Red-tailed tropicbirds, and ʻōpeaʻapeʻa, Hawaiian hoary bats, can be seen foraging and flying.
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Kahaualeʻa
The active volcano Reserve. Kahaualeʻa is the only Natural Area Reserve with active volcanology. Under the ground, there is red molten lava that marvels those able to catch a glimpse. In some areas of the Reserve, native pioneer vegetation has grown and bloomed, making way for an expanded forest. On older soils in the reserve, an expansive forested area of ʻōhiʻa hosts federally endangered plants like Pendant kihi fern, nānū (Forest gardenia), or haʻiwale (a Cyrtandra). This area is historically significant as well because it intersects with a historic trail system, including the Captain's Trail.
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Kipāhoehoe
The mosaic Reserve. The Kipāhoehoe Reserve contains native koa forest intermixed with a mosaic of rocky terrain from previous volcanic flows. The Reserve runs mauka to makai, ending at the ocean and a beautiful sea stack arch. The powerful eye-catching ʻio (Hawaiian hawk) can be spotted flying above the NAR.
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Waiea
The summer forest. The Waiea Natural Area Reserve contains moist koa and ʻōhiʻa dominated forests on the western flank of Mauna Loa within South Kona. Waiea has distinct seasonality compared to other forests in the NARS system- it has evolved under a summer wet season, while most wet forests in Hawaiʻi evolved in the winter wet season regime. The reserve is great habitat for rare forest birds and plants. In fact, Waiea was once the home to the ʻalalā (Hawaiian crow), and it is here that the species was last observed in the wild. The area even contains an old aviary!
References
Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of 1972 (Clean Water Act). 1972. P.L. 92-500. 86 Stat. 816.