The Forest

Living on a Sustainable Farm and Rare Native Hawaiian Mesic Forest Sanctuary for 13 years on the "Big Island" of Hawaii, has been a huge inspiration.

In the Forest there are many Old Growth Rare Hawaiian trees including Federally Listed Endangered species.

Hawaiian Lowland Mesic Forest

Rare Old Growth Native Hawaiian Tree Sanctuary, full of endemic and indigenous Hawaiian Trees, Plants, and Critters.
We are considered a Lama/Ohia LowLand Mesic Forest.
VAlUE OF MESIC FORESTS IN HAWAII.

Hawaiian Lama/Ohia Mesic Forest

The Lama Tree is endemic, only found in Hawaii. The Lama tree represents the Goddess Laka, Goddess of Sound, Dance, Light, Health and Forest Growth.
Watch this really amazing explanation on Laka.

Io an Endemic Hawaiian Hawk is Chillaxing on a Lama branch in the forest.

The Ohia Lehua Tree is also endemic to Hawaii. Hawaiian Legend says, Ohia was a handsome young Chief and Surfer with a beautiful Girlfriend named Lehua. Pele (the powerful Volcano Goddess) had the hots for Ohia and wanted him for herself. Because of his love for Lehua, Ohia denied Pele. Outraged Pele turned Ohia into this tree. The other Gods were upset with Pele and tried to reverse the spell, but couldn't. The best they could do was turn Lehua into the flower on the Ohia tree. Now they can be together and you are not to pick the flower because the heavens cry when they are separated.

Lehua and Ohia

More Hawaiian Trees and Plants in the forest

Alahe`e (`ala means "fragrant" and he`e means is "slippery.") This tree is a hard wood, was used for interior wood in a hale (house), some tools, spears and fishhooks. The leaves were used to make black dye.

`A`ali`i
A native Hawaiian Evergreen, has a red to pink flower with seeds that are used in leis and making red dye.
The wood is hard a flexible good for framework in a hale.

`Ulei
Indigenous to Hawaii. The Wood was used for musical instruments, digging sticks and weapons. The stem was used to make fishnets.

Maile lau li`i
Small leave maile is endemic to Hawaii. there are 5 different forms of Maile. A sweet Fragrance is released when the outer layer of the vine is stripped or when the leaves are crushed. Maile leis still to this day are very popular.
Maile was an essential decorations on the alter dedicated to the Goddess Laka, inside a halau hula, a building for Dancers and Students of Hula.

Kauila
Is endemic, One of Hawaii's rarest Native trees and is federally listed endangered. We have both types of Kauila in the Sanctuary. Hawaiians used this extremely hard heavy wood for mallets, poles, weapons, house beams and more.

`Iliahi
A sandal wood endemic to Hawaii. The discovery of this tree began international commerce around 1790. The sandalwood boom peaked and was out of hand in 1820. Hawaiian Chiefs forced labored people into chopping down entire sides of mountains to trade for Fancy Items from overseas. Workers ended up burning down entire forests to protest, among other things.

Hala Pepe
Federally listed as endangered, endemic to Hawaii. A branch of Hala pepe was places in the halua hula to represent the Goddess Kapo, Goddess Laka's Mom.

Naio
Indigenous to Hawaii.
Was used as false sandalwood near the end of it's boom. It has a sweet smell when you first cut it, but soon dry out. Hawaiians used this hard wood for house frames, posts and night fishing torches.

Sustainablity at

`Ilima
Indigenous to Hawaii.
`Ilima was mostly used in making leis for Royalty. It takes up to a thousand buds to make one neck lei. The flower lei looked a lot like the feather lei worn by the Ali`i (Royalty). The shrub was also used to cushion the rock ground in houses, under bed mats.

its best

carefully Removing Dead trees

increase oxygen flow & stimulate new growth

Expert Arborists have been working on Akua Lani LLC for years. We've had hundreds of Christmas Berries, an incredibly Invasive Species, carefully removed and chipped. The wood chips are then turned into compost and redistributed throughout the Sanctuary. The Arborists have also been removing, trimming and hauling usable wood for art projects, from fallen and dead trees in the forest.

The Sanctuary is just coming out of an eight year drought. Making tree trimming a very important job. Trimming of dead branches to stimulate regrowth and decreasing fire hazard.

We've gotten lots of wood chips for mulch , made a hut, had plenty of amazing bbqs and now. Finally starting to do Wood Working.

Note in some of the photos to the left there is orange marking tape on the trees. These and only these are to be removed.