Maui Ocean Heart – Hawaiian Tradition & Plant Tour

Whereas Maui Ocean Heart showcases marine life and fish, a tour supplied by the household embraces Hawaiian tradition and vegetation. Guests to the Maui Ocean Heart now have the chance to hitch a brand new tour devoted to native vegetation and their significance in Hawaiian tradition. Guided by a marine naturalist, the 90-minute tour was developed with assist from Maui Nui Botanical Gardens in Kahului. Hawaiians had been astute in acknowledging the intricate hyperlink between vegetation and marine life, a connection underpinning a number of elementary elements of Hawaiian tradition.

The Hawaiian Tradition & Plant Tour invitations friends to expertise the refined fragrances of those vegetation, uncover their Hawaiian names, and discover their cultural significance.

The Smells of Hawaii Nei

This tour engages all of your senses: you’ll get to savor the fragile perfume of the pōhinahina leaf, take heed to the kukui nut because it rattles inside its shell, delve into ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverbs), use a pohaku ku’i ‘ai (poi pounding stone) to mash kalo (taro root), and savor quite a lot of crops initially delivered to Hawai‘i by Polynesian settlers.

Your educated naturalist will information you on a journey from the mauka (mountains) to the makai (sea), celebrating vegetation just like the ‘Ohia Lehua, which laid the foundations of life on this as soon as barren volcanic island, and the Kahakai, whose blooms are on the coronary heart of assorted mo’olelo (Hawaiian legends).

Bringing Consciousness to defending the Ocean

Though public consciousness of Hawai‘i’s native, endemic, and canoe vegetation has diminished over time, it’s fully believable to check a cultural and culinary revival of those species, significantly when organizations just like the Maui Ocean Heart and the Seascape present them with a platform. This resurgence could, in flip, foster a renewed understanding of how our terrestrial actions impression the ocean. In spite of everything, every part is interconnected, and the proof lies inside the vegetation. Whether or not you’re curious in regards to the function of vegetation in conventional Hawaiian tradition and ecosystems otherwise you’re a gardening fanatic looking for a deeper understanding of Hawai’i’s plants, we’re assured that you just’ll totally take pleasure in this expertise!

We advocate this tour for individuals aged 10 and above as a result of its length and content material, and the value is $35 per particular person. Closed strolling sneakers are advisable. Given the tour’s bodily calls for, we recommend this expertise for people who can comfortably stroll or stand for the complete 90-minute length and are ready for publicity to each full- and partial-sun environments.