HILT Preserves

He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka. The land is chief; man is its servant.

At Hawaiʻi Land Trust, we know that people and land exist in a symbiotic relationship—the well-being of each depends entirely on the health of the other. Our preserves are a living expression of this truth. They serve as a vital link to our collective genealogy (moʻokūʻauhau) and stand as our commitment to building a Hawaiʻi where land and people thrive together.

Open to the community, our preserves go beyond traditional conservation to achieve true systemic impact. By centering community voices and inviting lineal and cultural descendants back to their ancestral lands, we actively work to repair historical dispossessions. On any given day across a HILT preserve, you will find biocultural ecosystems being actively restored, traditional food systems being revived, and local families deepening their connection to place. These everyday moments ensure these critical connections with ʻāina continue to sustain us for generations to come.