Haleakala National Park

Haleakala National Park Photo Gallery

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In contrast to the red and yellow, gray and black lava ash of Haleakela Crater are the lush greenness and abundant waters of the Kapahulu section of the park. Here the visitor is greeted by a chain of pools of ever changing character, some large, some small, and each connected by a waterfall or short cascade. But 'Ohe'o, the stream joining the pools, has many moods, and at times becomes a thundering torrent of white water burying these quiet pools as it churns and plunges headlong toward the ocean. The upper rain forest above the pools receives up to 635 centimeters (250 inches) of rainfall a year and flash floods can and do occur here.

A pastoral scene of rolling grasslands and forested valleys surrounds the pools. Ginger and ti form an understory in forests of kukui, mango, guava and bamboo, while beach naupaka, false kamani, and pandanus abound along the rugged coastal cliffs. Pictographs, painted by long-forgotten artists, and farm plots once flourishing with cultivated taro and sweet potatoes, remind us of an age when the ali'i—Hawaiian chiefs—ruled this land.

In the higher elevations, a vast native koa and 'ohi'a rain forest thrives, just as it has for thousands of years, still relatively undisturbed by the influences of man. It is here that the endangered Maui nukupu'u, Maui parrotbill, and other native birds still survive in a delicately balanced environment. Protection of this ecosystem will help preserve some of this rare birdlife. The Hawaiian Islands, thousands of kilometers from a continental land mass, support a complex system of plants and animals. More than 90 percent of the native species are found only on these islands. What events took place to create this assemblage of life so severely restricted in range?

A tiny seed caught among a bird's feathers, fern spores borne aloft by strong winds, and insects cast ashore with floating vegetation are means by which life can cross an ocean. For every one that successfully survived the trip, thousands, perhaps millions, failed. But time was not a critical factor, and thus over millions of years several hundred of the hardier life forms established populations on the new islands.

Time and extreme isolation were essential for the development of Hawai'i's unique native life. Isolated from the remainder of its kind and living in a strange environment, a small breeding population is especially subject to evolutionary development. In some instances, changes have been so pronounced that it is difficult, if not impossible, to trace ancestries to continental forms.

On the other hand, all mammals—except for a small brown bat and monk seal—arrived on these islands through man's intentional or accidental aid. Being unnatural, their presence has greatly upset the natural balance here. Wild pigs, initially brought by early Hawaiians, root today through the wet areas of the park. Goats, introduced by Europeans, browse throughout the crater. These two exotics are the most serious threat to the native plant and animal populations. But other introduced species inhabit the park such as the predatory mongoose, released in sugar cane fields to control rats and mice (also introduced). All of these exotics continue to threaten the natural relationship which would have evolved between organisms and their environment in the absence of interference by modern humans. Thus, the Park Service has embarked on an exotic plant and animal control program aimed at perpetuating the values for which Haleakala National Park was established.

Hawai'i is noted for its unique birdlife, and many species are found nowhere else. The golden plover commonly seen from September to May is famous for its migratory flights to and from Alaska. You may also see the 'apapane, 'i'iwi, 'amakihi, and nene which are among those birds native only to the Hawaiian Islands. The 'i'iwi is one of the most beautiful of all Hawaiian birds, with a bright scarlet body, black wings and tail, and inch-long curved bill. The 'apapane is also scarlet, but has a white belly and black legs and bill. The bright green and yellow 'amakihi is known for the speed at which it searches for nectar and insects. However, most of the birds you will see along park roads—pheasants, chukars, skylarks, mockingbirds—are introduced forms. These, too, have taken their toll of native birdlife—as the carriers of bird diseases and competitors for territory and food.