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Notice at Mokuleia a
necessary sign of life

Information in Hawaiian and
English tells how to protect
native species

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-Bulletin

A new informational sign in Hawaiian and English was installed at the Kaena Point State Park's Mokuleia entrance this weekend.

The sign was designed to inform the public about the native species in the wilderness area and how to help protect them.

Kaena Point is one of the last intact dune ecosystems in the main Hawaiian Islands. Its native plants and animals have been protected since 1983 as a state natural area reserve.

The sign acknowledges the cultural and spiritual significance of Kaena as "wahi pana," a legendary place, as well as its wildlife.

The Hawaiian translation on the sign is provided by the Ahahui Olelo O Hawaii.

"Dunes such as the ones found at Kaena Point were once found on most of the Hawaiian Islands," said Maile Sakamoto, education specialist for the state Department of Land and Natural Resource's Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

"Unfortunately, those dunes and the native species that live on and within them have been almost entirely lost due to human impacts," said Sakamoto.

"Undisturbed coasts are now found only at remote sites, and these last glimpses of the natural heritage of Hawaii are precious."

Placement of the new sign is a joint public education project by the state DLNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partnerships for Wildlife, Hawaii Audubon Society and the community advisory group Na Maka O Kaena.

The sign asks the public to help keep the area safe and beautiful by respecting cultural sites, packing out trash, keeping dogs away from the natural area reserve and keeping four-wheel vehicles on main roads to prevent erosion and damage to native plants.