Nestled
beneath the majestic Ko’olau mountains lies picturesque, lush, verdant 400-acre
rainforest garden and flood-control facility that is home to many plants from
tropical regions across the globe.
Jon
Hennington, public information officer for the Department of Parks and
Recreation said, “You can walk around the world in a couple of miles. Ho'omaluhia
is a place to connect with nature, with the beauty of the place, and it's also
a place where you can connect with yourself."
"Ho'omaluhia"
means "to create peace and tranquility". The garden
is only 2 miles from Kaneohe and provide a place to relax, away from freeway noises
and mundane routine of day to day city life. It provides many facilities like
guided nature walks, camping, hiking trails, botanical drawing and painting,
art exhibits, fishing and a keiki fishing derby and a preschool nature hour.
The garden
has many plants that are native to Hawaii and is not found anywhere else on the
island of Oahu and also from other tropical areas of world like Africa, Sri Lanka,
India, Philippines, Malaysia, Melanesia, and Polynesia amounting to 2,683 types
of plants.
Each plant
has an interesting story about how it found a place in the garden. Some are
native to the island, some are donated or exchanged and others arrived in a
canoe with the early Polynesian settlers.
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| loko waimaluhia |
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| loko waimaluhia |
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| loko waimaluhia |
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| Wild life at the lake. |
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| Connect with Nature |
There is
also a 32-acre freshwater, flood-control lake named "loko
waimaluhia," which means "peaceful freshwater" and is home to
many of Hawaii’s endangered wildlife Hawaiian coot, ducks, egrets, turtles,
bullfrogs, dragonflies, mongoose and a variety of fish.
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| Kapani Wai: A dam for flood control |
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| Information about vanishing freshwater wildlife |
The garden and the lake was built in 1981 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect people of Kaneohe from floods that destroyed their home, property and lives in 1965 and 1969. Construction began in 1976 and was completed in 1980.
The lake collects
water from many small streams which pour down the Ko’olau mountians, mainly Kamo’oahli’i stream and prevent sudden
flooding of Kaneohe area. During rains, the excess water can be diverted to
other side of lake so that the level is maintained at 152 feet.
The garden
gets about 165,000 visitors a year varying from few 100 on weekdays to 1000 on
weekends. It is also famous for group activities it offers and people come in
groups from churches, schools, community groups, boy scouts, girl scouts and
the YMCA.
It is also
the youngest but largest of five botanical garden on the island of O’ahu. The
others are Foster Botanical Garden, Lili'uokalani Botanical Garden, Koko Crater
Botanical Garden and Wahi'awa Botanical Garden.
Hours
Open daily from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm except Christmas Day
(December 25) and Closed New Years Day (January 1).
Location
45-680 Luluku Rd. Kāneʻohe, Hawaiʻi 96744
Group Activities at the
Garden:
Several group activities are offered at the park to
increase environmental awareness and create a love for nature.
Fishing
Saturdays & Sundays 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
This catch-and-release program is fun for the whole family.
The garden provides bamboo poles with barbless hooks and you bring the
bait -fresh white bread works great! You may also bring your own poles
with barbless hooks. Fish commonly seen: tilapia and midas cichlid.
- Please check in at the Visitor
Center. It is a 20-minute walk to the fishing area.
- Bamboo poles may be borrowed
from 9:30 am until 1:00 pm, on a first come, first served basis.
- No casting allowed
- Recommended: walking shoes,
insect repellent, rain gear
- Please call 808-233-7323 for
more information
Drawing & Painting
Wednesdays: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
You can paint and draw
the wonderful plant life and scenery of our largest botanical garden with
others in this self-directed opportunity! Plants, flowers and seeds are
provided from this rainforest garden. Bring your supplies; watercolors,
pencils, and paper. Some art experience is helpful.
No fee required. Call 808-233-7323 for more
information.
Camping
9:00 am Friday through 4:00 pm Monday
Camping within the garden is a wonderful natural experience
for families, individuals and groups.
