Talk Story

Deck the halls this season with Hawaiian ohelo berries, a sacred yet edible plant endemic to Hawaii. They are also a nice alternative to cranberries.

Does Lanai have a ghost ship?

kauna‘oa, a Native Hawaiian medicinal plant and the official flower of Lanai, is as beautiful as it is deadly, earning it the ominous reputation as a vampire plant.

He‘e (octopuses) have brief but magical lives.

Get the translation of Hawai'i Pono'i.

Ulua are no easy catch. The powerful, deep-sea-dwelling predators can weigh over 100 pounds. And they’re smart.

Children of Hawaii play traditional island games in the spirit of Makahiki. Ancient cultural competitions in connection with the festival and its meaning.

Glowing creatures in Hawaii's seas light up the night.

When foraging for plants to kindle romance, the love-struck Hawaiian had no further to look than the distinctive Hala tree.

Are you familiar with the Aloha Spirit law?

‘Akala, the native Hawaiian raspberry, is one of the native plants bringing life back to Poli Poli forest after last January’s devastating fire.

Summer is the prime time to observe an only-on-Maui botanical phenomenon: the blooming of the Haleakalā silverswords.

A talented and prolific composer as well as the heir to Hawai‘i’s throne, Liliuokalani was inspired to write several songs, one of which is named “The Queen’s Jubilee.”

The “wandering tattler spends the summer nesting near streams in the Alaskan tundra. When the weather starts to cool, the birds fly south to Hawai‘i.

Who are these carnivorous beauties?

A Maui crew became the first Hawai‘i team to finish the 2009 Moloka‘i Hoe, placing second in this world-championship outrigger-canoe race—unprecedented feats for a Neighbor Island crew.

Turmeric is prized around the world for its yellow color, bold flavor, and medicinal properties. When Polynesian voyagers first sailed to Hawai‘i, they brought the pungent herb with them.

Entomologists fear this endemic butterfly, our official state insect, may be disappearing from forests.

Lahaina Arts Society celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this November.

The native Hawaiian shrub 'a'ali'i is as tough as it is beautiful. Learn about its role in restoring ecosystems, and its uses for Hawaii's lei makers and crafters.

Autumn is a thrilling time for Hawaiian owls and those who admire them.

In Hawai‘i, the ipu (bottle gourd) ripens in the fall.

Take advantage of Maui’s warm summer nights by gazing up into the star speckled sky.

Summer is the season to look for an exceptionally photogenic shorebird: ae‘o, the Hawaiian black-necked stilt.

‘Awapuhi is one of the twenty-seven species known as “canoe plants”—plants the first Hawaiians carried with them and relied on when colonizing these Islands.

Learn about hala trees (Pandanus tectorius), which are among Hawai‘i’s most recognizable and versatile native plants.

Each Thanksgiving, the family behind Four Sisters Bakery bake 6,000 pies to “raise dough” for local nonprofits.