4d • Talk Story
Island Life
Our islands are fragile ecosystems. It does not take much to completely wipe out species.
I remember reading in National Geographic years ago the rate of extinction on species on these islands. There are many reasons.
The loss of these birds on Kauai are devastating.
I know what it is like to experience the sudden silence where the birds sang their beautiful songs.
I live in an alpine forest where flocks of birds used to flutter from tree to tree.
And then our next door neighbor bulldozed the entire forest behind her hale (house) so she could walk back there. I could not believe she laughed as she shared that with one of her friends at the post office. I cried inside.
What took hundreds of years to grow from barren lava to the ohi’a tree sprouting, to the leaves falling making soil for all the other species like ferns and all the native plants, making homes for all the insects and snails and on.
Gone in one day.
And then the devastating silence. Where is the cries on i’o, where is the screech at night of pueo? Where are the flocks of birds?
It has taken years and slowly a few of the birds return. But not like before.
People move to Hawaii and love the beauty and then buy a lot a bulldoze it down!
When I moved here 34 years ago, people created narrow pathways through the forest to walk through creating a beautiful experience becoming one with the forest.
What is your mana’o of this?
1
1 comment
Island Life
skool.com/island
Join a space that honors Hawaiʻi 🌺 UNLOCK local insight, DISCOVER hidden gems, and help preserve the true spirit of the islands.
Leaderboard (30-day)
1
+1
2
+1
Powered by