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Who We Are

The Ka 'Ohana O Honu'apo Board of Directors represents only a small fraction of the people who have dedicated their energy and aloha to preserving Honu'apo. In addition to the board, and those who have assisted periodically, there are at least a dozen other dedicated individuals who show up week-after-week to help with this effort. These folks have consistently volunteered for thankless jobs, from asking supporters for donations to mowing the grass at the park.
This effort would not have succeeded without them.

Board of Directors

* Shary Crocker, President
* Alison Yahna, Vice President
* Ursula D'Angelo, Treasurer
* Wendy Scott-Vance, Secretary
* Andrea Avenue, Director
* Brynn Cabudol, Director
* Thomas King, Director
* David Vance, Director

 

 

 

What We Do

Ka 'Ohana O Honu'apo will work with the County of Hawai'i Department of Parks and Recreation under a cooperative agreement to augment County resources for managing the Park at Honu'apo by:

* Raising funds for agreed-upon projects at the site
* Administering grants
* Creating educational programs and materials
* Providing a volunteer workforce for designated activities

Contact Us

Ka 'Ohana O Honu'apo
P.O. Box 903
Na'alehu, HI 96772
Voicemail: 808/929-7222
Email: honuapo_ohana@hotmail.com

Honu'apo History

Honu'apo is located in the heart of the Ka'u District on Hawai'i Island. The Ka'u region is one of the oldest areas on the island of Hawai'i both geologically and culturally. Polynesians are believed to have settled the Hawaiian Islands first in Ka'u. Archaeological surveys have revealed ancient Hawaiian activity in the Honu'apo area. More recently, Honu'apo was a village that supported a thriving sugar industry. The village included a busy wharf, which can still be seen at the adjacent Whittington Beach Park, as well as a mill and a small railroad for transporting sugar between the plantations and the mill. The village and railroad were devastated by a tsunami in 1946.

Honu'apo is a coastal estuary, which is a place where saltwater and freshwater mingle to create a rich coastal environment suitable for a rich community of terrestrial and marine organisms. Although the estuary has been altered by intense human use, it still has the potential to support native plants and animals, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, or `Ilio holo i ka uaua and several shorebird species. It is our hope that the natural properties of this coastal estuary can be fully restored someday.


Honu'apo Landing and Village in 1908