Reflections on Kawainui

The State of Hawai‘i, Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), in partnership with the Division of State Parks (DSP), is updating the Kawainui Marsh Master Plan, which was last completed in 1994.

The project area for the updated master plan includes not only Kawainui Marsh—the largest remaining wetland in the State of Hawai’i—but also nearby Hāmākua Marsh and a portion of the Hāmākua Marsh watershed, the hillside of Pu’uoehu. In 2005, the Kawainui and Hāmākua Marsh Complex was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The entire project area comprises nearly 1,000 acres.

The updated master plan—referred to as the Kawainui-Hāmākua Marsh Complex Master Plan Update—will serve as a guide for implementing future actions within the Kawainui-Hāmākua Marsh Complex to support the DOFAW and DSP missions and to sustain and enhance the natural and cultural resources associated with this complex.

“Reflections On Kawainui” is a series of videos featuring people who have a close connection to this land’s cultural and/or natural attributes. These videos were produced in 2015 by DLNR.