The Hele Mauna Trail
One trail across the island of Hawaiʻi,
to create a world of ʻāina stewards
The Hele Mauna Trail is an idea to create a thru-hiking trail across the mauka lands of the island of Hawaiʻi, which would ideally traverse all five volcanoes. This would allow people to fully immerse themselves in nature and emerge days later with an intrinsic understanding of humanity’s place within the ecosystem. We believe that people will use their experience on the Hele Mauna trail to guide them towards ʻāina-first actions in every decision they make going forward.
The development of this trail will provide an opportunity for large scale biocultural restoration of degraded lands. We envision a library of curated knowledge that encompasses the ecology, geology, history, and culture of the lands that the trail passes through delivered to hikers via visual, audio, and augmented reality platforms. There would be permitted cabins and tent campsites for rest and refueling along the way. The Hele Mauna trail will stand as an embodiment of our collective vision for the Hawaiʻi of the future.
What is thru-hiking?
A “thru-hike” is a point A to point B, multi-day backpacking trip. Thru-hikes are usually long-distance and in one direction. Some famous thru-hikes are the Appalachian Trail and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Why a thru-hike on the Island of Hawaiʻi?
Perpetuate the Life of the Land
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The kaona of this phrase is not lost on kanaka. Unfortunately, kanaka and kamaʻāina alike have lost the easiest way to uncover this kaona. We have lost the ability to readily spend a significant amount of time exploring the sacred spaces of our island and connecting with the life of our land. To feel the kīpuʻupuʻu rain on your cheek is to understand the mele we have sung about it. To see the ʻelepaio alight from the branch of a koa tree is to understand the moʻolelo we have told for hundreds of years. To walk across the volcanoes, slowly, carefully, and intentionally, is to understand ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. We can not perpetuate the life of our land if we do not understand what our ancestors understood. The Hele Mauna Trail is not building something new--it is awakening what has been sleeping. It is reviving what has disappeared.
Attract the Right Visitor
The island of Hawaiʻi boasts 27 of the 38 global life zones as defined by the Holdrige life zone bioclimatic scheme and is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. There is nowhere else on Earth where you can experience such a range of ecological diversity in such a compact space. This should be what draws visitors to the island. Yet, for many of those who flock to our shores, Hawaiʻi is simply the closest, easiest tropical getaway. A backdrop for golf, mai tais, and selfies. These are not the visitors we want.
We want the kind of visitor who comes to Hawaiʻi in search of an experience they can only have here, the kind of visitor who cares about and is willing to invest in the native plants, animals, and people of Hawaiʻi. Right now there is no easy way to access the diversity of the island, and we are missing out on this critical set of visitors. The Hele Mauna Trail would allow us to showcase our island’s most spectacular areas while controlling human impact and ensuring all visitors are aware of both the ecological and cultural significance of the land they pass through. The Hele Mauna Trail would help Hawaiʻi attract visitors who care about the natural world and want to be stakeholders in its success.
Explore Biocultural Restoration
Biocultural restoration is the idea that ecological restoration efforts must also consider historic indigenous connections to the natural world. Every culture was shaped by the environment in which it developed, and every environment was shaped and managed by the human culture that grew within it. To ignore that relationship is to deny our own humanity. A February 2020 study shows that lands managed by indigenous people can be far more biologically diverse than managed protected areas, parks, and preserves. We need a new way to interact with the land. The Hele Mauna Trail could provide an opportunity to build a conservation corridor that demonstrates the known benefits of traditional management principles for our critically endangered species and habitats.
The Hele Mauna Trail has the potential to be a bold but practical system to safeguard biological diversity and human wellbeing from the devastating impacts of over-tourism, growing disconnect from 'āina, and the loss of wisdom & stories of kūpuna.
We can not achieve this dream alone.
We are looking to assemble a team with a diversity of perspectives and a broad knowledge base.
Do you know anyone who would like to help achieve this dream?
Contact
Talk to us. Ask questions. Give feedback. Get involved. We’d love to hear from you.