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The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

The Nature Conservancy in Asia Pacific - Conservation in Asia-Pacific

The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Ka'ū preserve, Hawai'i IslandKa‘ū Preserve
Island of Hawai`i

The Ka‘ū Preserve is part of the largest and most intact expanse of native forest in the state. Made up of four separate parcels of forested land, the preserve features mountainous ridgelines with narrow plateaus broken by alternating steep valleys. Closed-canopy koa and ‘ōhi‘a forest shelters a lush understory of native uluhe and hāpu‘u tree ferns. Rare plants like the nuku ‘i‘iwi (below) still survive here, along with rare and endangered forest birds like the Hawaiian hawk ('io) 'apapane, 'i'iwi, 'elepaio, 'amakihi and ‘ākepa. 

                                                                                                                                                                       Kaiholena summit  
Due to its rugged terrain, the preserve is not currently open to the public at large, but guided group hikes led by TNC staff may be available at some point in the future.

Location  Nuku I'iwi, Ka'û preserve, Hawai'i
Southwest flank of Mauna Loa volcano on the southern end of  the Island of Hawaii, Ka‘ū District, located between 2,160 and 5,770 feet in elevation

Size
3,548 acres

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
All four parcels consist of nearly pristine native forest and form a boundary between the largely intact native alpine and subalpine forest above, and the agricultural land below.   
                                                                                                                                         Nuku 'I'iwi  
During the last century, regular burning of the adjacent sugar cane fields kept most weeds out of the forest.  But the demise of sugar operations in 1997 opened up private lands to new weed invasions, which, in turn, threatened the native forests. 

In 2002,  the Conservancy purchased four parcels of private forestlands adjoining the Ka‘ū Forest Reserve from a subsidiary of C. Brewer & Co., Ltd.  Acquisition of these parcels enables management access to state forest reserve lands.                                                                 

What the Conservancy is Doing Kumauna_Falls, Ka'ū preserve, Hawai'i
The 100,000-acre Ka‘ū forest region consists primarily of state-owned forest reserve lands that were difficult for the state to access when these lands were bordered above and below by private land holdings. The Ka‘ū Preserve land now provides four different entry points to assist management of state lands.

The Conservancy is actively managing the land to prevent new weed invasions. We are also working with neighboring landowners, local communities, state agencies, the National Park Service, and neighboring private landowners to protect the larger forest landscape.  

What's New:  Meet our new staff and visit our new Ka‘ū field office!

 


                                                                                                                                                                              Kumauna Falls