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Unveiling the Wonders of the National Tropical Botanical Garden

Celebrating 60 Years of  Plant Preservation and Research "We're all about perpetuating tropical plants, ecosystems and cultural heritage. Our approach is really biocultural and what we mean by that is we care deeply about the relationships between our ecosystems and our communities, between people and plants." ~Communications Director David Bryant (as quoted in Island News, May 19, 2024) Preserving Hawaii's Rare Plant Life The National Tropical Botanical Garden, headquartered in Kalāheo, on the island of Kauaʻi, turns 60 this year. Originally created as the Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, NTBG was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1964 as a not-for-profit institution, dedicated to tropical plant research, conservation, and education. In the years since, its diverse collection of living and preserved plant specimens, plays a crucial role in understanding and protecting the fragile ecosystems of the Pacific region. NTBG garden sites include McBryde Garden, Allerton Garden and Limahuli Garden and Preserve on Kauaʻi; Kahanu Garden near Hana, Maui which includes the 3-acre Piʻilanihale Heiau, a National Historic Landmark believed to be the largest ancient temple in the Hawaiian Islands; and The Kampong located in Biscayne Bay, Coconut Grove, Florida.  View the timeline and history. A Repository for Genetic Diversity NTBG's native plant collection is a vast repository of genetic information for rare Hawaiian plant species.  Their meticulous record-keeping and data management systems play a crucial role in guiding the institution's conservation efforts. Through a living collections database, NTBG maintains detailed information on all the collections that come in, which helps guide where to make additional collections to have good genetic representation of some of the rare species. Collaborating for a Greener Future The NTBG's commitment to plant conservation extends beyond its own borders, as the institution [...]

2024-05-31T13:26:08-10:00May 23rd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Welcome to America’s Chinatowns Campaign

Explore the history of Chinatowns in the United States through a new storytelling collection and learn how they foster belonging and connections today. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has partnered with Google Arts & Culture and collaborated with over 14 organizations and eight individual artists and creators to create a unique collection of stories about Chinatowns across the United States. The partnership builds on the National Trust’s 2022 America’s Chinatowns Initiative*, created to address a growing need to support historic Chinatowns in the United States through researching and building coalitions for that purpose. "It is long past due to ask what more the national preservation community can do to amplify existing grassroots action to support Chinatowns now and in the future." ~Di Gao, senior director of research and development at the National Trust and leader of the America’s Chinatown initiative. The vibrant online storytelling hub, Welcome to America’s Chinatowns, launched May 9, 2024, chronicles the histories and threats facing Chinatowns nationwide. View the hub HERE. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is honored to be a participating organization, sharing a glimpse of Honolulu’s Chinatown. View HHF’s page which includes photography by Cliff Kimura, historical interpretation by local historian Gary Coover and documentary shorts by filmmakers Kimberlee Bassford and Robin Lung as part of the collection. Often the gateways for new immigrants, Chinatown’s across the United States are an integral part of our shared history and yet are increasingly threatened by economic challenges, gentrification and development. To draw attention to their history and challenges, the Welcome to America’s Chinatowns collection sheds light on what makes each a unique cultural repository by sharing stories about the businesses, individuals and organizations that live, work and play in our Chinatowns. [...]

2024-05-13T12:06:05-10:00May 9th, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Kaʻapuni o Waimea and the Kipahele Tour Series at Waimea Valley

Editor's note: In March of 2023, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation shared a blog post by Waimea Valley staff introducing their new program, Kaʻapuni o Waimea, just after its debut. The program offers visitors cultural learning opportunities at three of the valley’s cultural sites. The objective of the program design, to allow the visitor to ground their experience in cultural values and engage directly with the valley’s mission: to preserve and perpetuate the human, cultural and natural resources of Waimea for generations through education and stewardship. HHF circled back for an update a year later (see article below). Read the original post describing the program and theme of the Kaʻapuni o Waimea, the Hawaiian cultural value of hoʻokipa, HERE.  Celebrating one year of program growth at Waimea Valley By guest contributor Waimea Valley staff Photos courtesy Waimea Valley  Waimea Valley leadership is proud to share that the Cultural Programs team has established the Kaʻapuni o Waimea initiative as a foundational component of daily programming in the Valley. Beginning with a daily average of 14 pin recipients (visitors completing the program) in the early months after its launch in March of 2023, the daily average of pin recipients is now holding strong at 130. In fact, from January through March of 2024, the pace of the program participation has grown dramatically in popularity, counting over 9,800 visitors earning their pins in the three months – already surpassing the annual total of 9,500 pin recipients in 2023! The takeaway for the Cultural Programs team is that visitors to Waimea Valley are eager to actively and respectfully engage in cultural discourse, if given the opportunity. The frontline staff of Waimea Valley receives special training to be experts in a personal [...]

2024-04-11T14:38:42-10:00April 11th, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

ONHR Announces The Heritage (Tourism) Opportunities in Hawaiʻi (HŌʻIHI) Program to Enhance Visitor Education

Proposals are now being accepted for the HŌʻIHI grant program, a new funding opportunity for Native Hawaiian Organizations. See the press release below from the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations for details. Interested NHOs must submit their proposals on-line through Grants.gov no later than Monday, June 3, 2024. Copies of this solicitation and additional information are available on ONHR’s website at:  www.doi.gov/hawaiian. Interior Department’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations Announces $1 Million in NATIVE Act Grants for Native Hawaiian Organizations 4/4/2024 — The Department of the Interior’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations today announced $1 million in funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) through the Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi (HŌʻIHI) grant program. The funding is made possible by the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, which enables Indigenous communities to participate in national tourism goals and strategies. This is the third year that funding has been made available to NHOs through the HŌʻIHI grant program. "The Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi Program seeks to encourage a tourism model that accurately showcases Native Hawaiian culture and traditions while providing protection and awareness for Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources," said Joan Mooney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget. “These resources provide Indigenous communities with access to resources, technical assistance and grants to build sustainable recreational and cultural travel and tourism infrastructure and capacity, spur economic development and create good jobs.” The HŌʻIHI program establishes a more inclusive national travel and tourism strategy and provides opportunities to NHOs that have the potential to deliver significant benefits, including job creation, elevated living standards and expanded economic opportunities, to the Native Hawaiian Community. “We are seeking grant awardees for 2024 who exemplify Hawaiʻi’s overall movement [...]

2024-04-08T12:36:03-10:00April 8th, 2024|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

Mauna Kea Traditional Cultural Property and District Approved for Hawai‘i Historic Register

By Kuʻupuamaeʻole Kiyuna, J.D., Legal Specialist/Kaliʻuokapaʻakai Collective Coordinator, Huliauapaʻa In November 2023, Mauna Kea was accepted for inclusion on the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places (HRHP) as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) and district. On behalf of co-nominators KAHEA and Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Huliauapaʻa researched, drafted, and presented the nomination to the Hawaiʻi Historic Places Review Board. The Board approved Mauna Kea’s listing as a TCP and District on the State register and also recommended the nomination move forward for consideration for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listing. TCPs are places associated with the cultural practices or beliefs of a living community that are both rooted in a community’s history and important in maintaining its continued cultural identity. TCP designation benefits state and county agencies because it provides more information at the forefront of regulatory compliance processes. For planning purposes, agencies won’t have to perform historic preservation eligibility and significance assessments at the state or federal levels because the property’s eligibility and significance have already been established through the TCP designation process. This benefit also extends to cultural impact assessments required under Hawaiʻi state law and environmental review because Mauna Kea’s cultural significance as a TCP is established. To be eligible for an HRHP or NRHP listing, a historic property must meet at least one criteria of significance. In the Mauna Kea nomination, Huliauapaʻa provided an in-depth analysis of how Mauna Kea exceeds all eligibility criteria (association with a historical event, a significant person, an example of notable architecture, or provides information important to understanding history and prehistory). Significance is inherent from the role Mauna Kea plays in Hawaiian cosmology and the community’s historically rooted beliefs, customs and practices; Mauna Kea’s association [...]

2024-06-17T10:48:49-10:00March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Ten Properties Added to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places

The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added ten properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in November 2023 and February 2024. Learn more about their history, characteristics and significance. Properties are eligible for inclusion in the register if they meet one or more criteria of historic significance: A) association with broad patterns or events; B) associations with historic individuals; C) architecture and design; or D) likely to yield important information. Halona Point/Bamboo Ridge Ojizo Stone Monument, O‘ahu The Ojizo (guardian) Monument stands at the Bamboo Ridge overlook at Halona Point (Koko Head). It is among the significant Honolulu stone monuments carved by sculptor and engraver Sentaro Otsubo, whose primary business was carving gravestones. This is the third Ojizo at this location; vandals destroyed the first two free standing statues placed there to protect fisherman who frequent this popular and challenging ulua fishing spot. The Monument, carved and installed in 1935, is made of lava rock and uses the engraved carving method in which inscriptions are incised and material removed leaving recesses that allow light and shadows to describe the bas relief and calligraphy. The Ojizo Monument is significant under Criterion C as an excellent example of twentieth century stone carving. It is also significant under Criterion A for its contribution to the theme of the creation of permanent stone monuments around southern O‘ahu to honor Issei and Nisei Japanese American ancestors. period. View the nomination. John J. Andrade, Sr. Property, Hawai‘i The John J. Andrade property is comprised of one and two-story buildings that have been renovated, expanded and altered over time prior to 1973. The complex consists of three sections: a long and rectangular two-story structure; a small, [...]

2024-03-25T15:55:52-10:00March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|Tags: |

Skills Learned at Trades Training Workshop Benefit Restoration Work at Historic Pua Akala Cabin

By Alton Exzabe  After attending the two-day Trades Training Workshop, Maintenance & Repair of Historic Structures, at Kōke‘e Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, on Kaua‘i  in September 2023, I was fortunate to be a part of a team that conducted restoration work at the historic Pua Akala Cabin located at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on Hawai‘i Island. The cabin is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Built in 1883, the cabin is constructed almost entirely of native Koa wood. As an Archaeologist for the USFWS, I had no prior experience performing this type of work but was able to employ the methods taught during the Workshop and work with colleagues to repair and reinstall several damaged windows from the cabin. The windows had been previously removed from the cabin, so we conducted the repair work at the Hakalau Forest NWR Station workshop. Tasks entailed cleaning and preparing the windows by removing deteriorated putty, light sanding, and the application of linseed oil. We removed broken glass panes and replaced them with new ones, installing glazing points and new glazing putty to secure the panes. Once the windows were assembled, we reinstalled them in the cabin. We also reglazed the two front porch windows without taking them off the cabin. Additional linseed oil was applied to parts of the exterior window frames to afford protection from the weather. The wide range of techniques I learned at the Workshop proved practical for these repairs and will come in handy for similar future efforts. Alton Exzabe, a Wai‘anae native, is Zone Archaeologist on the Cultural Resources Team, Hawai‘i and Pacific at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [...]

2024-03-01T12:59:22-10:00March 1st, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

The M. Yoshida Buildings, More than a Century of Commerce in Hale‘iwa

Submitted by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce’s Historic Preservation Committee; working to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of historic Hale‘iwa. Reprinted with permission. The North Shore Chamber of Commerce, as part of its mission of historic preservation of significant sites in Hale‘iwa, installed two bronze plaques commemorating the Yoshida buildings in October 2023. Similar to eighteen other plaques that can now be found throughout Hale‘iwa, the plaque language depicts the architectural and entrepreneurial his­tory of the buildings. The M. Yoshida Buildings, 1923-2024 Often described as buildings made of cubes of sugar stone, the Yoshida Buildings in Hale‘iwa were actually constructed with hand cut blocks of lava rock. The façade of each building was covered with plaster and paint while the exterior stone walls were left exposed. The unique “sugar cube” appearance of the buildings’ exterior has changed little since they were constructed by Nosaka Contractors for Matsuji and Hatsune Yoshida in 1923. Matsuji, a first-generation Issei, arrived in Hawai‘i from Niigata in 1902 and was believed to have worked for the Waialua Sugar Plantation. In 1910 he married Hatsune Takaki, also a first-generation Issei, who came to Hawai‘i from Kumamoto Japan in 1907. They raised three daughters, Ayako, Kikuyo and Sumie in their family residence behind the Yoshida Build­ings. By 1916 the Yoshidas were running a general store in a single-story wood frame building on the property. The twin buildings were completed several years later, proclaiming the M. Yoshida name. The Yoshida Store opened in the South Building with imported Japanese merchandise, groceries, and dry goods for sale. When Matsuji died in 1944, his wife Hatsune operated the store with the help of her two younger daughters. It was demanding work for [...]

2024-01-22T15:44:33-10:00January 17th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation Turns 50

In June 2024 Historic Hawai‘i Foundation will celebrate 50 years as an organization dedicated to preserving and encouraging the preservation of Hawai‘i’s historic places. In preparation for this milestone anniversary, we’ve been thinking about our own history and how the role of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has either changed or been consistent over time. As we enter the organization’s 50th year, we’re thinking about why preservation matters and why Historic Hawai‘i Foundation matters. What has been the impact? What actions have been inspired and what places have been saved? What places have been lost and what have we learned along the way? What partnerships and collaborations have been forged? Fifty years is a good time for looking back, but also a good time for looking forward. We’re anticipating both as we prepare for next year and hope the HHF members will have much to reflect on as well. Watch for events and gatherings throughout the year as we come together to celebrate and set the foundation for another 50 years.  Historic Hawai‘i Foundation Logo Shares Mission of Saving Places Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has updated our logo in honor of our 50th Anniversary celebration this year! The wordmark is based on the existing logo, using a deep brown serif font that represents stability, elegance and heritage. The font was slightly modified to be a more contemporary version of the linotype-style used for the past 30 years. The continuity of the wordmark ties to the existing logo, creating consistency and expanding on current brand awareness. The wordmark can continue to stand alone, but the new brand also incorporates a logomark to accompany the wordmark. The circular logomark is divided into three segments: [...]

2024-01-11T10:01:50-10:00January 10th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

A Walking Tour of Waikīkī’s Gold Coast

HHF volunteer, Lexi Smith, set out to experience the charming architecture and history of Waikīkī's Gold Coast firsthand. She downloaded HHF's  Historic Homes in Waikīkī Walking Tour Map and followed the self-guided itinerary stopping to sketch and write along the way.  Lexi shares her experience and a bit of the history and some of the architecture she encountered in her blog post below. Note: The self-guided itinerary is suitable for individual travelers rather than group tours, and focuses on sites of historic or cultural significance that are either open to the public or visible from the public way. The walking tour includes reminders on how to be a good visitor, including not to trespass on private property or to cause any harm to historic sites. Quaint Architecture, Open Space and Diamond Head Create a Special Neighborhood By Lexington Smith The War Memorial Natatorium The first “living” war memorial in the United States rests where the water meets the land. This Memorial calls for people to interact with the water, whether it is the swimming pool within or the surrounding ocean. The soft pink color of the main entryway, an elaborate sculpture and triumphal arch entablature, catches your eye in the sun’s heat and mutes the city traffic behind. The Memorial is dedicated to those from Hawai‘i who served in World War I. Whether you are spending the day at Kaimana Beach Park or just parking your car off Kalākaua Avenue, The War Memorial Natatorium offers a reminder of those who served.  The Tahitienne Tucked away at the ends of Kalākaua Avenue, the Tahitienne, a nine-story apartment building rendered in 1950 modern, utilitarian style, stands at the shoreline hidden by trees. Built in 1957, [...]

2023-11-29T16:28:45-10:00November 29th, 2023|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|
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