Maunawili Forest and Loʻi

Vital and irreplaceable resources, the richest and most productive soil in all of Hawaiʻi, abundant kalo (taro) fields, native and endangered species, historic trails, and cultural connections: These are just some of the things within the Maunawili Forest, in Oʻahu’s Kailua ahupuaʻa, all at risk of being lost to development.

The region’s cultural significance cannot be overstated. It has long been celebrated in Hawaiian mo‘olelo for its association with Akua (gods), aliʻi (chiefs), and other heroes. The area was one of the favorite homes of the great chief Kākuhihewa, and was the birthplace of chief Kuali‘i, who ruled O‘ahu in the 1700s.

Royalty like Queen Liliʻuokalani who found Maunawili’s its beauty restorative and inspiring, wrote the famous Hawaiian folk song: “Aloha ‘Oe”.

Maunawili is home to a vast cultural and agricultural complex of irreplaceable ancient pre-contact sites like Kukapoki Heiau, agricultural terraces, ‘auwai, habitation sites, burials, alanui, and petroglyphs, providing connection to Hawaiian culture.

The renowned fertile soil of Maunawili nourished the entire island. Its kalo was famed for its sweetness and specifically requested by the aliʻi that cherished the area.

Vast freshwater networks of wetlands, seven streams, and over fifty springs in Maunawili Valley provide the majority of the water that flows makai into Kawainui, the second largest fishpond in Hawaiʻi and now an internationally recognized wetland of significance and the largest wetland in Hawaiʻi. And it provides flood control and filters sediment protecting Kailua town and the Kailua Bay ecosystem.

Losing these resources and connections to the past and culture would be devastating. Ten cultural and environmental organizations and descendants and residents of Maunawili and Kailua saw the looming risk and joined together to do everything they could to stop it. Collectively known as Hui Maunawili-Kawainui, they approached Trust for Public Land, asking for help to purchase and conserve the land. Together, we’re working to fulfill their vision: to restore Maunawili to that place of abundance, growth, and healing for all in Hawaiʻi.

Together with the hui, our priority is to safeguard these vital lands and return them to community-based stewardship for bio-cultural restoration and sustainable agriculture.

Once acquired, we plan to transfer the Maunawili forest and Queen’s Retreat lands to the State of Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife, which will manage the lands as a forest reserve in close partnership with local nonprofits Kauluakalana and Hookuaaina. The land will be revitalized, transformed back to ʻāina momona (fertile, abundant land) to support food and water security, native forest restoration, stream and spring health, habitat for endangered water birds, restoration of cultural sites, ʻāina-based education, kalo farming, agroforestry, and pono management of trails for cultural and educational enrichment.

These lands will again feed the community, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

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