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Inside Waimea Valley with David Orr: Botanical Collections Specialist and rare plant protector
Hi`ipaka LLC, a Hawai`i limited liability company, was established in 2007 by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. As the managers of Waimea Valley, its mission is: E malama a e ho`omau i na waiwai kanaka, mo`omeheu, a kulohelohe o Waimea, O`ahu no kela hanauna, keia hanauna ma o ka ho`ona`auao a me ka ho`okahu`ana (to preserve and perpetuate the human, cultural, and natural resources of Waimea, O`ahu for generations through education and stewardship).
A visit to Waimea Valley is also about seeing a place that the community came together to protect, in that sense it is a way for visitors to understand contemporary Hawaii. Hi`ipaka LLC assumed management of the Valley on February 1, 2008, and throughout the coming months there will be on-going activity to encourage a greater understanding of and respect for Hawaiian values, culture and traditions.
Waimea Valley is one of the few places in Hawaii visitors and residents can see what life may have been like in pre-contact times. This month’s focus on Hawaii’s cultural heritage made it the perfect time to check in with one of the Valley’s constants, Botanical Collections Specialist and rare plant protector, David Orr.
HHG: May 1st there was an Annual Lei Making Contest at Waimea Valley. What is the significance of this contest?
David Orr: The contest honors a cherished tradition in our Islands. A box of Plumeria flowers was available for visitors to string their own lei. The contest is open to anyone with a lei. This year, Darrilyn Crisostomo made lei from plants and flowers representative of each island. From Moloka’i, she used a strange, parasitic plant called kauna’oa.
HHG: And what did that look like?
D.O.: Like a tangled mass of yellow fibers, you really just had to see it. Come next year. The lei are always creative and although this hasn’t been officially decided, some of us are proposing that anyone wearing a lei get into the Valley free next year on Lei Day.
HHG: So, say I’m planning my lei for next year. What are the criteria for winning this contest?
D.O.: Well like I said any lei can be submitted. Generally, the most original takes first place. This year, Desma Garo made a lei out of small discs of lauhala from the Hala tree. Several thousand pieces were strung together. Being a dry, flowerless lei it will last for a long time.
HHG: Did you get a chance to make a lei?
D.O.: My lei was another flowerless lei or lei pua a’ole. It was made from the leaves of a strange croton variety called ‘Volutum’. On the plant, they curl away from the stem like the feathers of a kahili. Off the plant both ends could be joined to make leaf-loops strung together like a chain.
HHG: Switching gears a bit, what is the current status of Waimea Valley? With all these management changes it is hard to keep track.
D.O.: A few years ago, OHA and 4 other partners, including the City & County, pooled $14 million dollars to purchase the entire Valley from the theme park developer who was proposing to develop the property and then went into bankruptcy. As part of a negotiated settlement among all parties, OHA contributed $3.9 million toward the purchase price and received title. In taking title, OHA agreed that a Conservation and Access Easement would be placed on the Valley in order to protect Valley in perpetuity from development. For several years ending January 31, 2008, the National Audubon Society had been managing Waimea Valley. In February, 2008, Hi`ipaka LLC assumed ownership from OHA and took over management of the Valley.
HHG: In your mind, what makes Waimea Valley so important to the community?
D.O.: Waimea is a commonwealth. This is a precious, historic ahupua’a, part of which protects a well-documented collection of rare and endangered plants, both native and exotic. We owe a tremendous amount to the Pietsch family. Under their ownership through the 70’s, 80’s and most of the 90’s they put over $20 million dollars into creating a world class plant collection. Even after the flood of 1990 when we experienced major losses, our incredible collection survives. This Valley has always been at the forefront of botanical preservation.
HHG: Do you see the plant collection as part of Hawaii’s cultural heritage?
D.O.: Native plants and Hawaiian culture are one in the same. Over the last decade most of our efforts have gone into the native collections adding to the already existing native palm and hibiscus collections. Part of Waimea Valley, the Kauhale, is sort of like a Williamsburg time-capsule, in that most of the plants there are what people would have seen and grown in Waimea before Cook’s arrival to the archipelago. We have one of the oldest collections of food, medicinal and other ethnobotanical plants including sweet potato, bananas, taro and sugar cane. We are very proud of our collection of heirloom crops. Right now Hale o Lono is being restored, including ohi’a wood from the Big Island that will be used for the oracle towers of this sacred site.
HHG: Waimea Valley is now the site of many community events like concerts, weddings, film screenings and next weekend’s Mother’s Day Brunch. What can the community do to give back to this place that gives us so much?
D.O.: The local community really came together and saved this place from development a few years ago. Now, I think we need to be aware of this incredible resource and realize the treasure we have in our neighborhood.
Come and visit. An annual pass is only $25, and it also entitles you to jog or walk through the valley before visiting hours with no cars and practically no people. It is like having the key to your own private garden. Otherwise a kama’aina day pass is only $6.
Come in, look around and swim at the waterfall. Hawaiians recognize this Valley as a sacred site. Many visitors are sensitive to this, and few leave unaffected.
Waimea is home to dozens of what I call “two-week wonders”, huge flowering trees, vines, and plants that only bloom for a couple weeks out of the year.
Come regularly, because so many of the greatest sights are ephemeral. Being surrounded by such beauty is good for the soul. Waimea provides a needed refuge from the hectic pace of most of our lives..
Kelly Perry is our volunteer coordinator and there are tons of volunteer positions available. We need guides for walking tours and input on future Valley projects. I will train guides and the experience is nurturing for the volunteer and the community. Those on a beeline for the waterfall miss out on all the incredible things they pass on the way up, but with a little guidance from volunteer interpreters, they could get so much more pleasure from the gardens and historical sites.
We also have job postings out for cultural interpreters. Apply if you are interested. Most importantly remember what you have here in your own backyard and come visit.
Kelly Perry can be reached at (808) 638-7766 x 310
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