Hawaii

The first shift at MAʻO Organic Farms starts at 5 a.m. It’ll be a few hours until the sun rises over the Waiʻanae Range on Oʻahu’s leeward coast, but the farmers—mostly in their late teens and early 20s—are awake and ready to work. They fan out into the rows of beets and kale and through orchards of citrus and ʻulu (breadfruit) trees, dragging hoses, pulling weeds, and harvesting and packing veggies for sale at markets around the island.

The Waimea Valley has always been a place of refuge. Today, the lush canyon on the North Shore of O'ahu has a botanical garden and a shaded trail to a waterfall, offering visitors a change of pace from the busy, sun-drenched beaches of Waikiki. But hidden somewhere behind a wall of jungle near the parking lot, the valley holds the memories of a pivotal era in Hawaiian history: the final resting place of the islands’ last high priest, Hewahewa.

Land in Hawaiʻi has special meaning — ʻāina or land (that which feeds us) supports all life —  both physical and spiritual, and connects us to our culture, past, and ancestors. Land conservation in Hawai'i is unique, blending culture, conservation, biology, and history for a brighter future. The Community Guide to Hawaiʻi Land Conservation explores how land conservation can build community resilience, conserve biocultural resources, and support healing land and local communities scarred by past divisions and disconnections.