Have you ever found yourself saying, “Oh, they are cutting down that beautiful natural area for development. SOMEONE should do something.” Or you hear stories about large pieces of natural land falling to development and wish SOMEONE could buy it and preserve it.
That SOMEONE are actually a group of conservationists here in Hawaii, the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT) and they have asked me to be a Social Media Ambassador to get the word out about an upcoming benefit luau, “Buy Back the Beach” being held on January 25th from 5-8:30 pm hosted by the Old Lahaina Lu’au on Maui. Tickets are available through EventBrite. Join us for an evening of Hawaiian food, music, and dancing, including a private concert by the sensational musical duo, HAPA, one of the most successful musical duos in Hawaii. Bid on custom experiences you won’t find anywhere else 
in the “Adventures for the Aina” live auction.
I am working to get a group of Big Island folks together for the event. Hope you will join me-Mokulele Air flies direct from Kona to Kapalua now for $84. What a great way to kick off 2014-a trip to Maui, saving the land and having a memorable evening.
Help save Hawai‘i, its beaches, mountains, stunning scenic vistas, forests, cultural and historical sites, ranches and farms, and other recreation areas for the lasting benefit of current and future generations by attending the event or consider becoming a member of HILT.
Hawai‘i’s long-term well-being, environmentally, economically, and otherwise, is directly linked to the land and the choices we make about it. Thus, Hawai‘i is fortunate to have a statewide, non-profit land trust, HILT, the first nationally accredited land trust in the State, with a mission to protect the places that will sustain us for current and future generations. To date, HILT has conserved over 17,500 acres on a number of properties with various conservation values important to residents and visitors alike.
Here is a specific example of how HILT helped the Big Island:
In June, Dr. Linda-Jane Irwin donated a perpetual conservation easement to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (“HILT”) over 32,000 square feet of her property located along Wright Road in Volcano. This small parcel is part of a larger effort by HILT and community members in Volcano to protect “kipuka” or small oases of intact forest canopy in an area that is increasingly being developed. These oases provide green corridors for for birds, butterflies and other insects to use while moving around the forest and onto adjacent protected lands such as Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Kahauale‘a Natural Area and ‘Ola’a Forest Reserve. HILT has been working with a group of landowners to preserve as much of the forest canopy as possible for the use of native birds and other species that move along the flanks of Mauna Loa. This project is called the Kipuka Mosaic and it is a grassroots conservation initiative that has brought together many small landowners, professional resource managers, and HILT to help fauna, especially native birds, along the southern flanks of Mauna Loa Volcano.
Hope to see you Saturday January 25th at “Buy Back the Beach 2014”! Help us spread the word and the excitement on social media by using #BBTB2014 and #SaveLand
Mahalo and Happy 2014!
Spread the word if you love what you heard! #365kona so we can say Thanks!
Meet the Author
Preserve the aina.
Preserve the aina.