Meeting to Explore Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Flora

Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a plants. Photo courtesy of Elliott Parsons

A Natural Area Reserves specialist for the Hawai‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife will introduce attendees to some of Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a’s flora on Monday, Nov. 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lyman Museum.

The specialist will also discuss their ecology and threats to their survival, and what’s being done to protect and restore them.

In 1913, after conducting extensive surveys of the vegetation at Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Ranch, the famous Hawai‘i botanist Joseph Rock described Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a as “the richest floral section of any in the whole Territory.”

Today, despite the loss of native forest to wildfire, exotic species and drought, remnants of this botanical treasure persist.

At least 182 native vascular plants in 69 families are known from this region including 15 endangered plant species, some of which are found nowhere else in the Hawaiian Islands.

Admission to this program is free to museum members; $3 for non-members. Space is available on a first-come, first-seated basis.

For additional information, call (808) 935-5021 or visit www.lymanmuseum.org.

The nationally accredited and Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawai‘i. Located in historic downtown Hilo at 276 Haili St., the museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.