Pololū Valley, Hawai‘i Island – “Everyone is recognizing the overuse of Pololū and the community wanting to do something about it,” begins Jackson Bauer.
He’s a specialist with the Na Ala Hele Trails and Access System and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s (DOFAW) point-of-contact with a rural, end-of-the pavement community that has been besieged for years by too many visitors.
“We’ve been meeting with the community, many of whom are lineal descendants of Pololū, so they have deep connections to the area. Brainstorming led to the great idea for having onsite stewardship. That’s the model we always want to follow; empowering communities to lead their own initiatives,” Bauer explained.
One initiative already in place is a community stewardship program. Sara Pule-Fujii, who describes her position as “steward of the land,” was born and raised three-minutes down the road from the tiny parking area, where she now talks story directly with as many visitors as she can.
“I tell them about the burial sites down in the valley and ask them to respect the area and my ancestors. I warn them to not go into the ocean because of strong currents. And I ask them not to stray off the trail or the beach,” Pule-Fujii commented. She also warns them not to travel inland as it’s private property. “Some people like to do their business anywhere. I tell them this land is sacred to the Hawaiian people and we ask that you have respect.”
Bauer said he believes everyone agrees that, unfettered use of any natural area is not sustainable and never appropriate for sensitive heritage sites like Pololū. “You would never have a five-thousand-person concert at Iolani Palace, so why would we have thousands of people here every day?” he asked.
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