All You Need Is Grub
Only around five hundred wild parrotbills exist today, in the remote rainforests of East Maui.
Rainy Season
Ho‘oilo starts in November and marks the rainy season in Hawaii. Micro climates and rain fall varies with wind, geography and elevation.
Hawaiian Winter
Hawaiians honor Lono, god of agriculture, during a four-month-long celebration called Makahiki.
The Urchin and the Hala Tree
Learn about hala trees (Pandanus tectorius), which are among Hawai‘i’s most recognizable and versatile native plants.
Haleakalā Silverswords
Summer is the prime time to observe an only-on-Maui botanical phenomenon: the blooming of the Haleakalā silverswords.
Delicate Beauties
Strung together, the tissue-thin flowers of the ‘ilima bush make an exquisite lei.
The Hawaiian Sphinx’s Riddle
Hawaiian Sphinx Moth is endangered and rare with many bright colors and can found in the winter months in a nocturnal environment.
When Fire Meets Ice
The volcano goddess Pele created the tallest mountains in Hawaii — Mauna Kea and Haleakala — but those peaks are also home to her snow goddess rivals.
Watch out for Wedgies!
Wedge-tailed shearwaters spend the majority of their lives at sea, where they feed on baitfish and squid. They return to Hawai'i each spring to nest.
Welcome Home, Kolea!
Every autumn, Hawai‘i welcomes home a beloved snowbird, the Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva), known to Hawaiians as kolea.
The Right Stuff
Discover the endemic yellow mao blossom, its history, ancient and modern uses, and where to catch a glimpse of it right here on Maui.
Spring Cleaning
‘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.
Scented Souvenir
One of the sweetest Hawaiian traditions is the making and wearing of flower lei to celebrate people you love or places you’ve been.
Nene Nursery
In 1962, biologists reintroduced several breeding pairs of nene to Haleakala National Park, and now around 300 nene call the park home. Nene goslings take up to three months learning to fly and need special attention during this vulnerable time.
Behold the Lobelia
The Lobelia Grayana is an endangered lavender flower that grows in Waikamoi Preserve on Maui. Ancient Hawaiians called this plant opelu.
On The Wing
Entomologists fear this endemic butterfly, our official state insect, may be disappearing from forests.
Summer Stargazing
Take advantage of Maui’s warm summer nights by gazing up into the star speckled sky.
The Steadfast ‘A‘ali‘i
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.
A Whale of a Love Song
Every winter, Hawaii entertains around 4,000 North Pacific humpback whales returning from their summer vacations in Alaska.
Turtle Tracks
Since 1996, volunteers have helped Hawaiian hawksbills turtles reach the ocean, and you can too.
Hawaiian Owl: Love Is in the Air
Autumn is a thrilling time for Hawaiian owls and those who admire them.
Fair Winds
Trade winds are the prevailing gusts that blow across the tropics. But here in Hawai‘i, they’re mostly known for delivering perfect weather.
Sex and the Coral Polyp
Few people think of corals as animals — which they are — and fewer folks contemplate their sex lives! Yet coral spawns are magical events.
Maui Events & News
Imua Family Services’ Will Smith Discovery Garden
A World of Pure Imagination
Story by Savy Janssen
Photographs by Jason Moore
Sunlight filtered through the outstretched arms of the 120-year-old monkey pod trees, and...
