Giving Back to the Aina
- Juan Peralta
- Nov 21, 2017
- 2 min read
What we see is more than what meets the eye here in Hawai’i. From its beautiful trees and plants to its amazing ocean waters, we are captivated. Our breath taken away from us after each adventure that rewards us with views you must see in order to believe. It's within these views where the danger of the island is hidden, disguised as many other plants. One of the main miscreant plants harming the native plants is that of the Strawberry Guava otherwise known as the Psidium cattleyanum. The Strawberry Guava is known to be an invasive species on the island of Oahu and more so towards the north shore. Growing rapidly and aggressively these types of plants have since entrenched on the native ecosystems and are a factor in the process towards their extinction.
Why protect the native plants? They are two different types of native plants in the world, indigenous and endemic. The ones that grow on Hawai’i such as, the Koa tree are endemic to the island meaning they can only be found in Hawai’i and nowhere else in the world. In order to protect these native plants, we must first begin to replant them and remove the harmful ones, a slow but effective process in restoring the native ecosystem. This is one of the main goals of the conservationist who try to preserve the island that has sheltered them throughout the years. One of the main missions of Waimea Valley and travel2change.
I believe that no matter where we go one should at least take the time to know the history of where they are traveling to as a sign of respect and to become aware of your surroundings. There are different ways of showing your respects, for example, reading and researching, community service, conservation, and many more.
Teaming up with Travel2Change and joining Waimea Valley’s Native Forest Restoration Project is one way I decided to give back to Hawai’i for allowing me to embark on it’s beautiful adventures through hikes, swims, sky views and everything these islands have to offer. During this project we focused on strategically removing invasive species that are harming native plants and depleting them at a rapid rate around the North Shore area on the Island of Oahu. This required more than 12 hours of hiking, climbing, and outdoor labor on private property while being guided through ridges and uneven muddy terrain of Waimea Falls Valley.
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