Na Moolelo - "Stories of Hawaii"
Pokane or Night Marchers
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
There are stories found throughout the island of the Pokane, or night marchers (although the term Pokane is more of a literal translation, and has debatable meanings). The Night Marchers are said to traverse the islands over many trials, on different nights of the year. Some say they are fallen...read moreThe Cave of Makalei
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
On the slopes of Hualalai there lays a cave known as the Cave of Makalei. It is said that many years ago a man named Koamokumokuoheeia moved from Kauai to the Big Island of Hawaii with his family and his son, Makalei. Here he began growing crops, but needed water. The kamaaina (locals) told him...read morePueo
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Pueo, the Hawaiian Owl, is said to be an amakua (animal spirit) that protects people, and is often seen traveling over the saddle road, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Story tells of a man named Kapoi, who went gathering supplies to fix his roof one day. On his way home he came across seven owl eggs,...read morePohuehue and Kaunaoa
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Many places in the island you can find two plants, pohuehue and kaunaoa, growing entangled in each other. Legend has it that these two were actually two lovers at one point in time. Pohuehue and Kaunaoa were the best of friends and deeply in love, however one day they got in an argument. Pohuehue...read moreNanaue
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Nanaue is the man-shark born of Kamohoalii, the shark god, and Kalei, a young woman from the Big Island of Hawaii. Legend has it that Kamohoalii once took the form of a man, to woo a beautiful young woman near Waipio valley. The couple fell in love and had a child, which they named Nanaue. Nanaue...read morePele’s Arrival to Hawaii
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
It is said that Pele came to Hawaii from Tahiti. She was accompanied by some of her siblings, one of which being Kamohoalii, the shark god, who guided her canoe to the Hawaiian Islands. She first arrived at the northwestern islands of Niihau and Kauai, however, she was followed by here angry...read morePele and Poliahu
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
One day while Poliahu and her sisters were out holua sledding they were approached by a beautiful stranger who joined in they’re games. As the ground became hotter, Poliahu realized the stranger was Madame Pele, trying to destroy here. Poliahu ran to the mountain top where she turned on Pele and...read moreAumakua
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
There are many Hawaiian tales of the sacred aumakua (spirits) that can be found throughout the islands, and often take on natural forms, such as animals. These animals are looked to as signs of power, wisdom, direction, etc. The alii (chiefs) would often look to the aumakua animals for guidance in...read moreMokuola and the Ulu
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
There is a small Island in Hilo bay names Mokuola, after the son of Ulu. Ulu was a man who was said to have lived in Waiakea, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Ulu and his wife had a son, who was very sick and could not gain weight, no matter what Ulu and his wife did for him. Eventually, Ulu decided...read moreMenehune
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Throughout the Hawaiian Islands one can find stories of the menehune, the mythical little people of ancient Hawaii. It is said that the menehune were a small, husky, hairy people who performed all their work at night. They are credited with building massive structures, including walls, heiaus...read moreMaui and the Sun
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
It is said that Maui’s mother, Hina, lived in the cave behind Rainbow Falls. Hina was renowned for her beautiful, handmade kapa cloth. However, there never seemed to be enough sunlight to dry the cloth properly. This saddened Maui, so he asked the sun to slow down, for his mother. At first the...read moreNaupaka Flower
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
When traveling around the island you may come across a rather peculiar flower that appears to be missing half of its pedals. This unique flower belongs to a Hawaiian plant called Naupaka. Although there are several species of naupaka on the island, the beach and mountain varieties tend to get the...read morePaaiea’s Fish Pond and the Girls roasting Breadfruit
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
On the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii there lays a volcano called Hualalai. Years ago there was a vast fishpond at the base of the volcano that belonged to a chief named Paaiea. One day an old lady came down the mountain to ask for fish from the fishermen. The konohiki, or overseer, refused...read moreKipuka
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Kipukas are islands of forest or vegetation that have been surrounded by a lava flow, isolating them from the rest of the forest. Similar to the moolelo stories accounting for the Ehupuaa and Amau fern, Hawaiian stories describe the creation of the kipukas as yet another battle between Pele and...read moreEhupuaa
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Often times while driving around the Big Island of Hawaii, one can see a variety of ferns, one of the most prominent being the Amau fern. Sometimes, however, you may notice a brilliant red Amau fern frond, standing out in the sea of lush green. These red fronds are called Ehupuaa, meaning...read morePele and Kamapuaa
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Although Pele, the goddess of fire, is probably one of the best known goddesses in Hawaii, she is not the only one. Another prominent god in Hawaiian theology is Kamapuaa, the god of the rainforest. Kamapuaa is often referred to as the “hog god” and is believed to have been born part pig. Even...read moreOhia Lehua
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
It is said that once there lived two lovers, named Ohia and Lehua. These two had eyes only for each other and would have no one else. One day while walking through the forest, Ohia happened to come upon Madame Pele. Upon seeing Ohia, Pele became smitten by his handsome good looks, and...read moreManaiakalani (Maui’s Fish hook)
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Maui is a prevalent god found throughout most of Polynesia. Although each location has its own set of stories relating to Maui, there are many similarities connecting them all. One of those is the sacred fish hook of Maui, which he is said to have used to perform many feats throughout Polynesia....read moreKalupeakawelo
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
Story tells of a young boy named Kawelo, who’s grandparents took a liking to him and believed he would become a strong man. As a child, Kawelo one day saw one of his peers, Kauahoa, flying a kite and wanted one of his own. His grandparents granted this to him, and he then spent days flying his...read moreKekaomakalii
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
One of the stories associated with the Pleiades is that of the malicious chief Makalii, who was said to have lived on the Kona side of the Big Island. Legend says Makalii gathered all the food and crops in a large rope net and flung it into the night sky where it became stuck. As people began to...read moreMahina
Posted: Nov 11, 2010
In Hawaiian the moon is called Mahina, who was said to be the mother of Maui. Mahina was believed to live in a cave behind Rainbow Falls, on the Big Island. It is said that Mahina wanted some peace and quiet, so she climbed a rainbow into the heavens and took up residence on the moon, which now...read moreCreative Isolation
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
This summer the Pope and I came to an understanding. If you account for a Supreme Being, he said, the Vatican doesn’t have a problem with evolutionary theory. He went further to suggest that to view “life in terms of an ‘ongoing creation’ is a scenario that makes increasing sense, scientifically...read moreOver the Hump
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Let’s take a quick ride over the Saddle Road. It is a stunning and scenic fifty miles that crosses over the island between the great volcanic mountains Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Though it passes through a large expanse of Parker Ranch, Saddle Road is not named for our paniolo heritage. At its...read moreThe Volcano I Sleep On
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Hualalai is my favorite volcano. Kohala is so eroded and covered in green it lacks that volcanic bite. Mauna Kea is too cluttered with cows and cinder cones. Mauna Loa is so smooth, broad, and immense as to be overwhelming. And Kilauea is too accessible. Hualalai on the other hand has great well...read moreA Bird’s Bone View of Hawaii
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Last month a bunch of bird people were in Hilo. They attended the 67th Annual Meeting of the Coopers Society. The Coopers Society publishes The Condor, one of the prestigious journals for ornithological research. Professional researchers, government officials, land managers, and conservationists...read moreA Walk a Weekend
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
In 1993 nearly five hundred hikers hit the trail and walked the entire length of the Ala Kahakai in one day. This “trail by the sea” runs two hundred miles from Upolu Point in Kohala to the Hilo side of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The event that brought these hikers together was National...read moreDon’t Call Me A Spelunker
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Speleological, stalactites, stalagmites, troglobites, chemoautotropic the glossary of the underworld is intimidating. So is a descent thirty feet down on a six-inch-wide cable ladder into a dark, unknown hole in the forest. This is the world of cavers and caving (few of us moles use “spelunkers”...read moreMicro, Meso, and Macro Cavernous Critters
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Let your imagination run wild. Visualize a subterranean world, literally underfoot. Tiny cracks in rock a millimeter wide, empty pockets once filled with volcanic gases, wider crack passages which may fit your thumb and even a hand, and also picture large caves that run for miles. Now imagine all...read moreInventory of a Koa
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Koa Tree It is a big tree. It rises above the canopy of the kipuka with sculptured grace. Its trunk is as thick as a bus. The branches are larger than most other trees’ trunks. It is a Koa. I visit the tree often, with hundreds of visits over the years. Only after a dozen visits did I see how...read moreKoppen’s Climates
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Hawaii is a place of extreme climates. But that’s not what a mid-western couple planning their once-in-a-lifetime, mid-winter, Hawaiian dream vacation wants to hear. Nor is it a fact that the marketers of Hawaii Visitors and Conventions Bureau spread through glossy literature. But a fact it is....read moreA Super Atlas
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
I get excited about books. When I find something on the shelf I've wanted or never seen before, my heart gets pumping and I usually buy it without a thought to finance. The other day I plucked down $79.00 for the recently published third edition of the Atlas of Hawaii. First thing about the book...read moreThe View from Poliahu
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Summit of Mauna Kea Photo by Kirk Aeder The summit of Mauna Kea is a sacred place. Sacred in its stark surreal beauty of cinders, rock, colors, and technology that captures the light of sun and stars. Sacred in its geologic manifestations of fire and ice that portray an ancient conflict. Sacred in...read moreKona’s Very Own Volcano
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Crater on Hualalai Photo by: Kirk AederHawaii is a landscape of volcanoes. If you're a visitor to the Big Island, visiting and learning about volcanoes is at the top of the list. That usually means an all day trip from Kona/Kohala to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. But the park isn't the only...read moreA Founder Effect
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Founder effect: Combination of genetic drift and natural selection resulting in a new genetic direction for a small population or individual in a new environment. (Dictionary of Biology, E. Martin 1986) My first lesson in Hawaii was about dirt. Soil development to be more precise. Like many who...read moreLumpers and Splitters
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
I like to know the names of things. Whether it’s the weed that leaves flat sticky seeds on my socks or the little worms that eat holes through my books, it drives me crazy if I don’t know their names. And though I often settle for the common name, it’s the scientific one that really catches my...read moreYou Pest
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
I am the baby of six siblings. Growing up I was often referred to as a pest by my older brothers and sisters. “Mom, he’s such a pest. Do I have to take him along?!” “Quit being such a pest, Robbie.” Never lacking affection, attention or love, this pesty tag never bothered me too much. In fact,...read moreA Hot Spot of Aloha
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Kilauea Eruption Photo by USGS Hawaii’s volcanoes are different from most volcanoes around the world. In other places when a volcano erupts people flee for their lives. In Hawaii we get in our cars and drive down to the lava flow to check it out. In many ways they are gentle volcanoes; they are...read moreThe Essence of Honeycreeperness
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Iiwi Photo by Jack Jeffrey Once Hawaii was for the birds. Before the arrival of humans, it was birds, not mammals, which dominated the environment. Today Hawaii’s native forest birds are disappearing. Nearly half of the 140 bird species that were known from historic times are extinct and over 50...read moreNatural Encounters
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
I love my work. Most days I find myself along a trail in a forest full of birdsong or stepping across cascading streams. Other days are spent in pursuit of hot lava, steam vents, lava tubes, pit craters, and earth cracks in the world-class setting of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I meet new...read moreSharing Nature
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Kids need to be out in nature. They need to climb trees, crawl through the bushes, play in the dirt and mud, chase each other across the field, and explore the wild. Too often today children never experience the wonderful land around them. Too many of our island keiki rarely get the opportunity to...read moreRock and Trees
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Joseph F. Rock I am a book nut. Sometimes I think my fascination with nature is just a highly rationalized excuse to buy books. Anything new that hits the shelves, I get it. Plus, I’m constantly on the search for the out-of-print titles that have anything to do with Hawaiiana. The ones that...read moreThe Gentleman Farmer
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Don Francisco de Paula Marin. This is only known image of Marin and is taken from an engraving showing Hawaiian chiefs meeting with European sea captains. Don Francisco de Paula Marin was a productive man. He arrived in Hawaii two hundred years ago after deserting a Spanish naval ship in the...read moreChirps and Trills
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
"Maybe I should write about crickets?" I asked. "Is there enough stuff to write an article on crickets?" Cindy responded. In answer I pulled down Daniel Otte's The Crickets of Hawaii, a 400 page tome on the Orthoptera of our fair islands. Filled with dozens of pages of cryptic graphs and close-up...read moreSearch and Destroy
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
The 1935 eruption of Mauna Loa is one of my favorite lava flows. If you have driven across the Saddle Road, you have seen it. It is the smooth, shiny black pahoehoe that surrounds Puu Huluhulu at the Mauna Kea Summit Road junction. Pooled in the flats of the Humuulu saddle it is at once flat and...read moreLooking Toward the Mountain Mauna Kea, kuahiwi ku ha’o i ka malie
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Amidst several years of controversy and contention, the summit of Mauna Kea has indeed stood alone in the calm. Now as a community we must stand together and begin the difficult task of developing a harmonious and balanced stewardship of our use of Mauna Kea. To do that successfully, all of us are...read moreTour of a Plant Museum
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
I remember my first visit into a world-class museum. It was the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. I cannot recall what works of art I saw, nor even the artists. Nevertheless, I remember the great sense of anticipation I felt. I remember the immaculate polished floors, the immense scale of...read moreBeach Botanizing
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
I visited a splendid place today. My companions were a small group of plant lovers from the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden and Clyde Imada from Bishop Museum as chief identifier. Our destination was a remote coastal area in Kau. It wasn’t an easy journey. The path took us through dry, weed...read moreMauna Nui
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Mauna Loa is massive. Geologists call it the largest volcano on earth. It covers half of the surface area of the Big Island. Besides it size, Mauna Loa is one of the best-studied mountains on earth. It is also one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. While Kilauea continues to pump out the...read moreThe Sex Lives of Flies
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
In 1963 a pre-med undergraduate student at UH Manoa got a summer job washing test tubes. The student was Ken Kaneshiro and the job was for the new Hawaii Drosophila Project. Today, Dr. Ken Kaneshiro is an eminent evolutionary biologist. He built his world-renown scientific reputation by studying...read moreStolen Moments
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Yesterday in the kitchen I snatched a kiss from my wife. At that moment I felt like kissing her. Not wanting to lose the moment, I came up behind her, put my arms around her waist, leaned over and as she turned I kissed her gently. It was a beautiful spontaneous moment between the rice and the...read moreA Natural Image
Posted: Aug 8, 2010
Hawaii is one of the best known places on earth. People everywhere dream of a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to our Islands. I suspect most perceptions of Hawaii are similar to what mine was before moving here-white sand beaches, coconut trees swaying in the breeze, and aqua-blue, bath-tub warm...read moreTrainings and Workshops
Posted: Aug 8, 2009
Caption It was a fun week of learning. Thursday, Christina, Matt, and I attended the Mauna Ulu training at HVNP. Interpreter Jay Robinson and Cultural Liason Keola Wang shared there manao of this dynamic area. Despite all of us being intimate with the eruption site, we all learned many new...read moreSatellites galore
Posted: Jan 1, 2009
et another fun-filled trip to the summit of Mauna Kea last night. We had the best weather I’ve seen in a couple of weeks. Beautiful views on the way up from saddle road looking back at sun rays falling through the clouds over Pu’u Wa’awa’a, Mauna Loa was spectacular with it’s dusting of snow at...read moreHence the Vog
Posted: Aug 8, 2008
Thirteen hours, State Forest Permits, National Wildlife Refuge Permits, and keys to private property all add up to an epic day of island adventuring. The pre-dawn to dusk day came about from a client request for a full day of private birding. He wanted to see as many of the native birds as...read moreKīlauea, Hawai’i's Explosive Volcano
Posted: Aug 8, 2008
There’s nothing I like more than being in the field with an expert. So the day I recently spent with Don Swanson on Kīlauea was very enjoyable. I was part of a small group of local residents who signed up for a seminar sponsored by the Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (...read moreA Blistering Affiair
Posted: Aug 8, 2008
I spent the weekend hosting Matthew Miller, Features Editor for Islands Magazine (http://www.islands.com/). Saturday we spent the day with two birdwatching guests at Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge and were treated to glorious weather and cooperative birds. I found my first mixed-species feeding...read morePerspectives on Living Da Life in Hawaii
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
I recently got caught up in a conversation with some visitors about traffic in Kona. It was an interesting discussion and, like a good drive, travelled through several topics by the time we said good-bye. I think I sold them on doing one of our Nature Adventures at least. But the one thing...read moreBirding By Car
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
Aloha ahiahi, I’ve driven Hilo to Kona over a thousand times but today was probably the best bird run ever. This is driving straight over for a meeting, no stopping, but going as fast as the traffic allows. I started off seeing 3 peafowl below the Makalei golf entrance. At Puu WaaWaa I saw 4...read moreA Weekend in Wonderland
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
Aloha kakou, What a crazy weekend. Friday started off with a hike with the Society of Hawaiian Archeologists to Kaawaloa. Best known as the place of Captain Cook’s Monument, Kaawaloa is also an incredibly rich resource of archeological sites, history, and marine life. We hiked out for about...read moreA Window to the World
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
Good Morning, Hawaii really is an amazing place. I was reminded of that again while reading a short article by Rose Kahele in Hawaiian Air’s inflight magazine. It’s about a story I often include on tours but one very few people know—Charles Keeling’s air collection study from Mauna...read moreBird Visits and Visiting Birders
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
Aloha kakou, After my Land Board Meeting in Honolulu on Friday, I travelled to the Ewa/Waianae coast to do some birding. I hoped to spot a visting Bar-tailed Godwit at Honouliulu and a Whimbrel at Mailiili. Missed the Godwit but got the Whimbrel. Nice to add a species to my Hawaii list!...read moreGorgeous Day, Except Kona
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
Good Afternoon Today was a gorgeous day on the Big Island, well, except for Kona. Today Kona had one of those hazy, lazy skies filled with water vapor that makes everything look thick. But my goodness, drive north just a bit, and the view was brilliant. Kohala, Waimea, and Hilo (from staff...read moreLucifer and the Almighty
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
Aloha kakou, I love books and reading. Most of the books I buy and read are nature/natural history related in some way. Plus there’s lots of Hawaiiana in my library. But I also like books on business. I’m a fast reader and a strategic one. I’ve gotten quiet good at being able to work...read moreChicago Birds and Amakihi
Posted: Oct 10, 2007
Aloha kakou, Cindy and I recently returned from a visit to Chicago. We flew in a few days before the The Motivation Show, a large trade show for Incentive Travel and Meeting Planners. We had a great time personally and accomplished some productive business. I spent Saturday morning birding...read more
