Donate to the Natural Area Reserves System
The NARS program uses new management practices to preserve the Hawaiian Islands’ unique environment and culture. These Islands have over 10,000 native plants and wildlife that are found nowhere else in the world!
Hawaiʻi was one of the first states in the country to recognize the importance of its unique natural resources by establishing a state Natural Area Reserve System (NARS). The NARS program is managed by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) at the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Since 1973, the NARS has protected a wide range of spectacular landscapes, from tropical reefs to coastal dunes, and tropical forests to fresh lava flows, and snowy mountains.
You can explore the NARS across Hawaiʻi through our map below, and contribute to protecting these special places by making a donation.
Donating to the Natural Area Reserves System
You can donate to the management of the Natural Area Reserves System by clicking the link below and processing your donation through Authorize.net. Donations go toward specific on-the-ground management actions such as planting trees, removing invasive plants, and removing hooved animals and predators. If you’d like to know more specific on-the-ground management actions and plans, please visit the NARS homepage.
Your donation will help save what makes Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi. It takes people like you to continue the work of defending our beautiful land and natural resources, as well as reaching Hawaiʻi’s 30 by 30 conservation goal. The goal includes protecting 30% of the islands’ critical watersheds by 2030. Many of these critical watershed forests fall within the NAR system. Join us, by going above and beyond, by donating today to protect the sources of nourishment and beauty around us, including, the water we use and drink!
Click the button below to donate to the Hawaiʻi Natural Area Reserves System via Authorize.net. Note: there is no condition or agreement that the gift is in exchange for favorable action by the state in favor of the donor.
Explore from Home: A Statewide Overview of the NARS
Perpetuating Culture
The value of forests, mountain landscapes, and native species have intangible connections to Hawaiian culture. Aspects of the Hawaiian Landscape are sacred and relate to spiritual beliefs. Many of the Natural Area Reserves contain especially sacred landscapes and significant cultural resources. Culturally important plants such as ʻōhiʻa, maile, and palapalai, among others, are more abundant in protected areas. The NARS preserve the linkage between the past and present. Protection of the forest, watersheds, spiritual landscapes and native habitats preserves the rich cultural history of the past and perpetuates culture into the future by benefiting practices such as traditional gathering by ensuring that native plant populations are healthy and culturally significant materials are readily available.
Why is nature closely linked to Hawaiian culture?
These larger areas were historically used by Hawaiians for activities such as bird hunting, harvesting timber for canoe-making, and gathering forest plants for medicinal uses. Conservation of native habitats and species will aid in preserving the rich native Hawaiian history and spiritual connection to the forest and landscape, as places linked with oli and stories are preserved. For example, on Hawaiʻi Island, Mauna Keaʻs mountain landscape features many significant cultural sites. It is considered to be the home of deities, and a place of spiritual connection with one’s ancestors, history, and the heavens.
References
Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of 1972 (Clean Water Act). 1972. P.L. 92-500. 86 Stat. 816.