ʻĒkaha

No loko mai nō nā mea a pau o ka pō nui hoʻolakolako. Pēlā ka hōʻike mai o ke Kumulipo, ke mele hoʻokumu honua nui o ka Hawaiʻi. ʻO ka pō me ke ao, ka wahine me ke kāne, ka uka me ke kai, piha ua mele nei i ke ʻano o ka noʻonoʻo o ka poʻe kahiko. Hānau kōkoʻolua ʻia mai nā mea ola a pau, he hōʻailona hoʻi o ka maopopo leʻa iā lākou ka pilina o ka ʻāina a me ke kai. E laʻa hoʻi ka ʻēkaha e noho ana i kai, kiaʻi ʻia e ka ʻēkahakaha e noho ana i uka. He koʻa ʻeleʻele ka ʻēkaha kū moana a he 15 ʻano e noho ana ma nā kai o Hawaiʻi. No ka ʻohi hāpuku ʻia e kānaka, ua emi loa ihola. He ʻēkahakaha ka inoa o kekahi mau oho o ka wao nahele. Pehea e pili ai ka ʻēkaha o uka me ka ʻēkaha o kai? Ma ka wai ola a Kāne e pili ai, ma o nā kahawai a me ka wai kulu iho i loko o ka honua, ʻoiai puka nā mea ʻelua i ke kai. Ma ka mālama nō naʻe e mau ai ke ola o kēia mau mea, a ʻo ia ke kumu o ke komo pū ʻana o Kealopiko a me Hawaiian Airlines i loko o kēia papahana haku lau a hoʻolilo aku i ke kālā puka no Kuaʻāina Ulu Auamo (KUA), he hui e ʻimi ana i nā ala e pono ai ko kākou ʻāina aloha. Aia nō naʻe kēlā koʻikoʻi ma luna o kākou a pau, no laila e aʻo a e kākoʻo piha kākou i nā hui e mālama ana i kēia kuleana nui no ka pono o ka lehulehu.

 

The interconnected nature of the ʻāina (land) and the kai (sea) is best represented in the wisdom of the Kumulipo, which pairs plants and animals in these two realms. This extensive Hawaiian chant of creation tells us the ʻēkaha is born in the sea and is guarded by the ʻēkahakaha living on land. ʻĒkaha kū moana, or black coral, is a symbol of strength and beauty. Hawaiʻi's waters are home to 15 species of black corals, many of which have been historically overharvested. This reminds us of the fragility of all coral reefs and how waterways intimately link them to the rainforests that are home to ʻēkaha ferns (Asplenium nidus and Elaphoglossum species). This relationship hangs in a tenuous balance constantly challenged by human activity. To support the work that helps keep these connected habitats healthy, Kealopiko and Hawaiian Airlines have partnered on this design project and dedicate a portion of the profits to Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA). Creative collaborations that support mālama ʻāina efforts give us hope for the future of our precious natural resources.

 

Nā uʻi o ka lipo - The beauties of the depths (our deep oceans, forests, and all that comes from the pō).

ʻElepaio

These feisty forest birds, known as the Hawaiian flycatchers, are found on the islands of Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi. The Oʻahu subspecies, Chasiempis ibidis, was federally listed as endangered in 2000. These are territorial birds with gorgeous plumage patterns of black, brown, rufous, and white. Hawaiians said that some of their distinctive calls were the birds saying their own names. They would also say, " ʻono ka iʻa" - fish is delicious, as they are famous in legends for wanting others to get their fish for them. Kahuna kālaiwaʻa (canoe-building experts) watched these birds carefully and knew that if the ʻelepaio perched for a short time on the trunk of a tree and did not peck at it, the tree was free of bugs and suitable for making into a canoe.

ʻEnuhe Hamuiʻa

The 20 known species of Eupithecia caterpillars endemic to Hawaii are the only ones in the world that have taken to eating insects and are thus considered carniverous. Also known as the grappling inchworms, these guys perch on small tree branches, cleverly blend into their surroundings, and when an unsuspecting insect alights they quickly snap in the direction of their prey and seize it in raptorial fashion. Found on all the main Hawaiian islands, these predatory caterpillars exhibit intriguing evolutionary adaptations that set them apart from other species in this genus.

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