Stewardship Partner - Koʻolau Ranch
LEPEULI COMMUNITY ACCESS & STEWARDSHIP SITE
In 2024, a partnership between HILT and Ko’olau Ranch was formed to protect and preserve 10 acres of critical coastal habitat supporting endangered wildlife, native and endemic plant species, and cultural practices.
Our long-term vision is to see i ola ka ‘āina, i ola kākou nei, or “Hawaiʻi’s lands thrive and nourish its people” through ecological restoration of natural resources, enriching place-based education programs, and perpetuating cultural practices.
Ahupuaʻa: Lepeuli Moku: Ko’olau Size: 10 Acres
Year Stewarded: 2024
Land Protection Strategy: Stewardship partnership
Conservation Values: Cultural practice and education, shoreline access, endangered wildlife, critical habitat restoration, and recreation
Land Features: Coastal and dryland forest habitat, marine shoreline, and nearshore reef systems
About Lepeuli Community Access & Stewardship Site
The 872 acre ahupua’a of Lepeuli is one of twelve traditional land divisions that lies nestled within the moku of Ko’olau on the rugged northeastern coast of Kauaʻi. Although comparatively smaller in size, Lepeuli (translated to “the rolling of the coconut”) has provided generations of Native Hawaiian ʻohana (families) with an abundance of resources found on both land and water. Records indicate the use of freshwater springs to feed into loʻi kalo (irrigated taro patch), cultivation of Polynesian introduced plants, and perhaps most notably the harvesting of the prized limu kohu (red algae species), widely regarded as the best on island.
Abundance is also evident in the native plant and wildlife species that call Lepeuli their home: today, honu (green sea turtle) forage the nearshore reef, ʻīlio holo i ka uaua (Hawaiian monk seal) breed and wean their pups in the safety of the shallows, seabirds traverse in search of feeding grounds and establishing colonies, opihi (limpet) and limu thrive in the intertidal zone, and coastal plants of both endemic and Polynesian-introduced origin continue to characterize the landscape.
HILT began restoration work in the fall of 2024 in partnership with Koʻolau Ranch and guided by the vision of ecologically restoring 10 acres of coastal land, supporting traditional practices specific to the area, providing opportunities for place-based education and community stewardship, and increasing ecosystem resiliency.
Volunteer at Lepeuli
Join us every TBD, 9:00am to 12:00pm for some hana (work)!
Please bring the following with you:
Protective clothing (long sleeved shirts, long pants, closed toed shoes, gloves)
Sunscreen
Pack lunch
Water bottle
Filled water jugs to donate to water storage tank