James Campbell NWR James Campbell Refuge consists of over 160 acres of wetland habitat in two separate wetland units near the community of Kahuku on the northeastern shore of Oahu, Hawaii. This wetland refuge is primarily devoted to the recovery of Hawaii's four endemic waterbirds (Hawaiian stilt, Hawaiian moorhen, Hawaiian coot, and Hawaiian duck). All four birds are listed as endangered species due to their precipitous decline in the 20th century. The Punamano Pond Unit is a naturally occurring, spring-fed marsh. Once known as Ki'i Pond (literal translation means picture), the open brackish waters of the Kahuku shoreline were configured into freshwater settling ponds by the Kahuku Sugar Mill. Upon closure of the mill, the ponds, which were heavily used by waterbirds, began to dry up. In 1976, the largest ponds were placed under the protection and management of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a national wildlife refuge through a lease from the estate of James Campbell.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park Two tragedies occurred on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north shore of the island of Moloka`i; the first was the removal of indigenous people in 1865 and 1895, the second was the forced isolation of sick people to this remote place from 1866 until 1969. The removal of Hawaiians from where they had lived for 900 years cut the cultural ties and associations of generations of people with the `aina (land). The establishment of an isolation settlement, first at Kalawao and then at Kalaupapa, tore apart Hawaiian society as the kingdom, and subsequently, the territory of Hawai`i tried to control a feared disease. The impact of broken connections with the `aina and of family members "lost" to Kalaupapa are still felt in Hawai`i today.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park, established in 1980, contains the physical setting for these stories. Within its boundaries are the historic Hansen's disease settlements of Kalaupapa and Kalawao. The community of Kalaupapa, on the leeward side of Kalaupapa Peninsula, is still home for many surviving Hansen's disease patients, whose memories and experiences are cherished values. In Kalawao on the windward side of the peninsula are the churches of Siloama, established in 1866, and Saint Philomena, associated with the work of Father Damien (Joseph De Veuster).
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park Established in 1978 for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional native Hawaiian activities and culture, Kaloko-Honokohau NHP is an 1160 acre park full of incredible cultural and historical significance. It is the site of an ancient Hawaiian settlement which encompasses portions of four different ahupua'a, or traditional sea to mountain land divisions. Resources include fishponds, kahua (house site platforms), ki'i pohaku (petroglyphs), holua (stone slide), and heiau (religious site).
Kealia Pond NWR Kealia Pond Refuge is one of the few natural wetlands remaining in the Hawaiian Islands. Located on the island of Maui, this 700-acre wetland was established in 1992 for the benefit of the endangered Hawaiian stilt and Hawaiian coot. Intermittent flooding and siltation during the winter/spring months creates shallow mud flat areas, pickleweed flats, native sedge margins, and expanses of open water that provide suitable resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for endangered waterbirds. 'Ae'o (Hawaiian stilts) time their nesting so that their young can probe for invertebrates and small fish in the newly-exposed mud.The pond also supports a diverse assemblage of migratory and resident bird populations. It is one of the most important areas in the State for wintering migratory waterfowl. Migratory shorebirds also congregate here to take advantage of food exposed as the pond water recedes and fish are crowded into the remaining water, making them easy prey for 'auku'u (black-crowned night-herons).Kealia Pond Refuge lies adjacent to Maalaea Bay along the south central coast of the island of Maui, Hawaii, near the town of Kihei. The main body of the pond is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a narrow band of coastal sand dunes and N. Kihei Rd. Kealia Pond acts as a natural sump within the floodplain of its 56-square-mile watershed. At the turn of the twentieth century, this natural basin was 6 to 8 feet deep, but since then it has filled in with silt-laden runoff from agricultural fields.Today it averages 1 to 2 feet of brackish water covering 50-400 acres, depending on the season. The great majority of the land surrounding the pond is planted in sugar cane owned by Alexander and Baldwin Co. In summer, the pond often shrinks to less than half its winter size, leaving a crust of pure crystalline salt at its margins. Kealia (pronounced keh-AH-lee-ah) means "the salt-encrusted place," and Hawaiians gathered salt here for centuries.
Kilauea Point NWR Kilauea Point Refuge's rocky cliffs have been a premier seabird nesting area for thousands of years, providing protected coastal nesting and roosting habitat for seven species of native Hawaiian seabirds. It is probably one of the most important seabird nesting sites in the main inhabited Hawaiian islands.Reintroduction efforts for the endangered nene goose were begun on the refuge in 1991 as part of a statewide recovery program. Regular predator control efforts and a buried fence line around the perimeter of the refuge are necessary to protect breeding seabirds and nene. Native plant restoration efforts have been ongoing since the refuge was established in 1985. Habitat management efforts also include opening up and maintaining nesting areas for the recently colonizing Laysan albatross and improving feeding habitat for nene. Built in 1913 as a navigational aid for commercial shipping between Hawaii and Asia, Kilauea Lighthouse on the refuge stands as a monument to Hawai'i's colorful past. For 62 years, it guided ships and boats safely along Kaua'i's rugged north shore. In 1976, the Coast Guard deactivated the lighthouse and replace it with an automatic beacon. In 1979, the lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Midway Atoll NWR Some 28 million years ago, a volcanic island emerged from the sea, the second in a series of volcanic islands that today form the Hawaiian archipelago. As wind, rain, waves, and lichen eroded the volcanic island, its weight also pushed the earth's crust downward. Reef-building corals began creating wreath around the sinking island. Midway's sandy coral islands formed as minute particles of coral, broken shells, and lime skeletons of tiny creatures accumulated within the reef. Today, Midway Atoll consists of Sand, Eastern, and Spit Islands plus their encircling protective coral reef.Located about 1,250 miles west-northwest of Honolulu, the atoll measures approximately 5 miles across. Sand Island, the largest island, is about 1,200 acres; Eastern Island is about 334 acres; and tiny Spit Island is only 6 acres.In the late 1800s, Midway's islands were low expanses of shifting white sand, dotted with bunchgrasses and low shrubs. Placed under U.S. Navy control in 1903, Midway's landscape began to change. The major developer was the Navy, which began its efforts by dredging a channel through the southern reef between Eastern and Sand Islands in 1938. Construction of a Naval Air Station on Eastern Island and submarine and seaplane bases on San Island brought major changes to the islands.With the closure of Midway's Naval Air Station, the atoll has been transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Now Midway's landscape is again changing. Many of the buildings constructed since the 1950s have been torn down, some of the ironwood trees and other exotic vegetation are being removed, and more open expanses of land are again available for the nesting seabirds that call Midway home.Fifteen seabird species, numbering nearly two million birds, nest on the atoll each year. The waters of Midway Atoll also abound with life, including about 250 Hawaiian spinner dolphin, green sea turtles (a threatened species), and about 60 endangered Hawaiian monk seals. More than 250 species of fish swim within the lagoon, including abundant and colorful coral fish.The refuge has established an unique partnership with the Midway Phoenix Corporation for providing visitor opportunities. At significantly reduced costs to the taxpayer, Midway Phoenix corporation maintains and operates the infrastructure needed to keep a small town functioning, as well as providing visitor, medical, and food services; and air transportation via Aloha Airlines between Midway and Oahu.Midway Phoenix Corporation offers several visitor tour packages, including options for scuba diving and snorkeling or for blue water fishing outside the reef and tackle fishing in the lagoon, emphasizing the catch-and-release conservation ethic. Combination tours also may be arranged. The Oceanic Society offers natural history, research, and service expeditions.
