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Wao Akua Sacred Upland Forests (Hawai‘i)
Upland forest zones, Hawaiian Islands
United States
Active (cultural use; watershed partnerships)
Regional cluster
- Location
- Upland forest zones, Hawaiian Islands
- Coordinates
- ~20.7°N 156.2°W (Hawai‘i)
- Elevation
- Upland montane forest
- Size
- Upland forest belts (varies)
- Age / Founded
- Ancient (pre-contact Hawaiian)
- Status
- Active (cultural use; watershed partnerships)
- Deity & Religion
- Realm of the gods (akua); Hawaiian traditional religion
- Community & Guardians
- Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians)
- Vernacular name
- Wao akua ('realm of the gods')
- Record type
- Regional cluster
Cultural practices & uses
Sacred upland forest (wao akua); restricted entry with protocol (offerings, statement of purpose); source of canoe/temple timber (koa, ʻōhiʻa)
Plant species
Koa (Acacia koa), ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), native montane forest
Biome & fauna
Hawaiian montane rainforest (endemic birds)
Threats & protection
Watershed-partnership & cultural protection; invasive-species/development threats
Source
Hōkūleʻa — 'Sacred Forests'; Hawaiʻi Assoc. of Watershed Partnerships; US Forest Service