Ulupo Heiau Wetland Bird Habitat and Loi Kalo Project

Ulupō Heiau and its surrounding areas are an extremely important part of Hawaiian history and culture. It is the one of the oldest and largest heiau (temple) of its kind on Oahu, and its easy access makes it convenient for tourists and locals alike to visit and appreciate its beauty and significance. The site is of great historical and cultural value to Native Hawaiians and serves as a hands on educational experience to Hawaii’s students and other groups who often come to volunteer at the site. It’s also an important tourist attraction with bus loads of tour groups visiting the site each day. The adjacent Kawainui Marsh is equally if not more important because of its place on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance making it a place of high value to people around the world. While Ulupō Heiau may be welcoming enough for large tour groups to visit, a lot still needs to be done to restore Ulupō Heiau and its adjacent land to the way it was when the ancient Hawaiians used it as a place of worship. The walls of the lo’i (taro fields) and auwai (irrigation channels) need to be rebuilt and maintained. Invasive species also quickly take over the lo’i and auwai restraining the water flow and smothering the Hawaiian taro. The adjacent Kawainui Marsh is also almost completely covered in a floating mat made of invasive species like California grass and cat tails. This creates a smelly mess of mud, rotting plants, and stagnant water, which prevents native Hawaiian wetlands birds from gaining access to the water and native plants from growing.