Surf N Sol

Before the U.S. took over Hawaii in the late 1800s, the Hawaiian land management system was based around the ahupua’a.  Ahupua’a by definition was one tier in the hierarchy of the old Hawaiian land divisions.  An ahupua’a usually encompassed the wedge of land between the high point of a valley through the valley walls and stream, all the way to the ocean.  Communities were defined by their ahupua’a, and the idea was that in order for each community to sustain themselves, they needed to maintain the health of their ahupua’a from the top down.   If the forest and stream are kept alive and healthy, then the reef and ocean will also stay alive and healthy.  Visit Limahuli Gardens on Kauai’s North shore to see an beautiful functioning ahupua’a.