A roughly 1,260-acre parcel in Waiea, on Hawai‘i island has been designated as part of the State Natural Area Reserve (NAR) System managed by the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW).
The Waiea Natural Area Reserve, which is is approximately 1.5 miles mauka of the intersection of Highway 11 and Ho‘okena Beach Road, contains moist koa and ‘ōhi‘a dominated forests on the western flank of Mauna Loa within the South Kona district. It is a habitat for rare forest birds and plants.
While NARs are generally open to everyone for hiking and nature study, this area is currently landlocked by adjacent private land, so there is no access at this time.
Waiea has a distinct seasonality compared to other forests in the NARs system as it evolved under a summer wet season, while most wet forests in Hawaiʻi evolved with a winter wet season.
The NAR system seeks to keep these forests as intact as possible, to preserve plants and wildlife that evolved over millennia to become unique to the islands. Protection of these species perpetuates the cultural practices that evolved with these ancient landscapes. These native Hawaiian forests absorb rain, providing life-giving water, while reducing erosion onto beaches and reefs below. NARs have the highest levels of protection in the state to ensure that current and future generations can continue to experience these incredible places that make Hawaiʻi so unique.
DLNR Photo