Native Plants

One of the greatest limitations to landscape-level restoration of Haleakalā’s leeward watershed forests is the availability of native seeds to fulfill the quantity of seedlings required for restoration at this scale. The remote location, extremely rugged and variable landscape and the cost, danger and difficulty of access exacerbate the problem of an already tremendously reduced native ecosystem. Much of the biodiversity has been lost, with more than 70% of native birds and over 30% of native plants now endangered and countless species, scents, colors, and ecological adaptations unique to Hawai’i’s island biogeography lost forever due to extinction.

Native seed collection and outplanting

Uhiwai collects seeds from each region and reintroduce them into the ecosystem, increasing biodiversity, resilience, and perpetuating Hawaiian cultural practice. Furthermore, we plant these native species which help diversify the watershed forest and enhances watershed function by enabling it to better capture, transport and store precious water.