What Hawaii Plants Are True Natives? Find Out In Videos By Big Island Local
To learn about Hawaii plants, my husband Stephen and I were planning a trip to the Big Island. Fred, my 90-year-old father-in-law, was coming for his first trip to the islands…or any islands for that matter! Fred… a wheat farmer for 82 years in Alberta, Canada… prayed to the Lord every year for his crops to be fruitful and survive until harvest. He was about to be amazed by the plants that thrive in the tropical climate of the islands…
We were looking forward to sharing Hawaii’s matchless beauty with Fred and celebrating his 91st birthday with him both on the Big Island and Oahu. We made plans with Pat, my Oahu friend, and
business associate, to bring Fred to see her Big Island acreage… situated between Mauna Loa Volcano and the ocean’s edge… that teems with tropical plants, flowers and fruit trees. I looked forward to seeing my favorite non-native Hawaii tropical flower… the surreal anthurium… growing wild in the tropical rain forest. This trip stirred memories for me since I lived in this lush area in the early 1990s.
I hoped to divide my time between operating as a Big Island tour guide for Fred and filming quality information about the history of Hawaii’s native plants to include in my Oahu Web site. Pat recommended I contact Kaye Lundburg… a lady from whom she had purchased yellow ohia in Paauilo on the Hamakua Coast. Kaye had established a Native Hawaiian Plant Reforestation Project and impressed Pat with her detailed knowledge about the plants of Hawaii.
When I contacted Kaye, she graciously agreed to grant me a video interview. We arrived at her Keolamauloa home in Paauilo on New Year’s Eve day and were immediately awed by its serene beauty. This tranquil farm… where Kaye offers a farmstay… sits at a cool 1800-foot elevation and feels like a soothing caress, a place to escape the clamor of today’s busy world.
As I nervously fumbled with my brand new video camera… Kaye demonstrated precious aloha to us… and led the interview like a pro. She explained her Native Hawaiian Plant Reforestation and Wildlife Development Project in comprehensible detail. In addition to learning about native plants of Hawaii and touring her picturesque farm… we had the pleasure of meeting her cat, dog and not so wild Hawaiian pig…
