A Sanctuary for Man and Nature

Pu‘u Kukui means “hill of enlightenment.” It is the summit of Mauna Kahalawai, the backdrop for West Maui.  It is home to plant and animal species that exist nowhere else in Hawai‘i, let alone the rest of the world. It’s also one of the wettest spots on earth: the intact native forest at Pu‘u Kukui works as a natural sponge to capture the water used by the entire West Maui community.

In 1978, Honolua Bay and Mokule‘ia Bay, were designated a Marine Life Conservation District.

In 1988, Maui Land and Pineapple protected 8,304 acres of the Pu’u Kukui Watershed with a permanent conservation easement.  In 2021, they protected another 791 acres in Honolua Valley with a conservation easement, creating one of the few places in Hawaii where land is continuously protected from the summit all the way to the sea.

The non-profit Living Pono Project manages the land in both the Pu’u Kukui Watershed and Honolua Valley conservation easements and employs a team of nine full time conservationists.

Caring for Land and Sea