Transforming Tourism in Hawai’i: A Focus on Sustainability and Culture

On the island of Hawaiʻi, individuals are actively reshaping tourism culture from within, integrating traditional Hawaiian values regarding land stewardship and sustainability into local education for both residents and visitors alike.

Through this initiative, the aim is to foster a vibrant Hawaiian culture while creating a new breed of responsible tourist who can embody this ethos to promote positive change far beyond the shores of the islands.

Foraging for Sustainable Island Flavors

Chef Brian Hirata hops out of his truck and crunches across volcanic gravel until he finds his first bunch of ʻōhelo berries—bright globes of rose, garnet, and gold that glisten in the morning sun. “They live in this very narrow band,” he explains about the specific region where these berries grow. “In about a 10-minute drive, there’s not going to be anything. It’s very microclimate-specific.” He carefully collects a handful of ripe berries before moving on to the next plant, ensuring he leaves enough for future foragers, both animal and human.

As the Culinary Arts Instructor at Hawaiʻi Community College and the innovative mind behind the pop-up experience Naʻau Hilo, Hirata takes participants on a culinary journey through local Hawaiian food, culture, and history. His dishes are foraged or locally sourced, presenting a modern twist on culinary traditions that have nourished the residents of Hawaiʻi for centuries.

Today, he gathers ingredients from a secluded hillside at the base of Mauna Kea, the dormant volcano that claims the highest peak in Hawaiʻi. Having grown up on the island in an outdoors-centric family, Hirata maneuvers through the landscape with ease.

The island of Hawaiʻi features four of the five global climate zones and 10 out of 14 sub-zones, making it one of the most climatically diverse locations on the planet. This unique diversity supports rare endemic plant and animal species, allowing Hirata to creatively leverage both in his culinary efforts.

The collection of ʻōhelo berries, lemony sheep sorrel, and tender mallow leaves gathered during this excursion will be featured in the delicate dishes served during dinner. Designed by Hirata and former culinary students, the menu takes diners on a sensory journey through Hawaiʻi’s rainforest, the historical Waipiʻo Valley, and nostalgic favorites like grandma’s tempura.

In addition to cultural preservation, Hirata recognizes the importance of responsible management of local ecosystems. “For me, the main goal is to educate the younger generation,” he states passionately. “If we lose that food connection in Hawaiʻi… If an entire generation does not value preserving the ocean because they don’t engage with it, the environment loses its significance.”

The Naʻau team aims to establish a permanent location to continue inspiring exploration of Hawaiian cuisine through an environmentally conscious lens. “I aspire to use affluent travelers as a means to promote this idea,” insists Hirata. “I want guests from around the world to visit and leave saying, ‘Hawaiʻi has all these amazing ingredients that are so interesting, and I must share that.’ I aim to place Hawaiʻi on the culinary map.”

Reclaiming the Waipiʻo Valley’s Sacred Land

We walk through towering eucalyptus trees that encircle the rim of the Waipiʻo Valley. Despite their dramatic appearance, these trees are interlopers—sentinels on occupied land. After the local sugar plantation’s closure in 1994, a Japanese paper company took over and planted extensive eucalyptus forests across the island. Initially intended for harvest within five years, these forests have persisted for over two decades, suffocating native forests.

This paper company represents just the latest entity exploiting the Waipiʻo region, an area steeped in rich cultural heritage that holds profound significance for the Hawaiian people. Revered as the “Valley of the Kings,” Waipiʻo served as a home for many aliʻi (chiefs) and figures prominently in Hawaiian mythology. “I possess over 500 pages of chants and stories connected to this land,” explains Kūlia Kauhi Tolentino-Potter, founder of the local non-profit Pōhāhā I Ka Lani.

The former school teacher and her partner Jesse aspire to influence local tourism development—much of the valley floor comprises private land, leading to frequent trespassing by tourists that both damages the land and poses safety risks along treacherous paths. Nevertheless, Tolentino-Potter is confident that attitudes can change.

What began as an educational opportunity for her students has transformed into a coordinated effort to restore and conserve Waipiʻo Valley. Visitors actively participate by removing invasive species, planting native vegetation, and engaging in comprehensive lessons on Hawaiian language and culture. “How can we get people motivated to connect with their culture or learn while they visit, so they feel a sense of respect?” she inquires. “Instead of just sightseeing, you want to engage and create a connection.”

The organization was founded in 2001 and achieved non-profit status in 2009, although it has operated as a passion project until now. Their land stewardship has had tangible impacts; they have cleared an entire dumpsite, replacing it with vetiver (a grass that helps prevent erosion and purifies the soil) and other crops, including kalo. Each week, they work on restoring five parcels of land, embodying the Hawaiian concept of mālama ʻāina—a blend of love for and responsibility towards the land, nurturing it in both practical and cultural ways.

Standing on the valley’s rim, we admire the scarred cliffs as a delicate mist begins to form over the opposite wall. Tolentino-Potter refers to this as Kaʻohukolomailunaokalāʻau, the mist dancing atop the trees. She shares that there are over 300 Hawaiian names for different mists, rains, and winds shaping the island. When asked about her vast knowledge, she chuckles, stating, “Sometimes we’re surprised at how much you all learn about American culture. It’s because our surroundings are our home; that’s like our Beyoncé!”

What Hawaiian Fishponds and Legends Can Tell Us About the Environment

The gentle sea breeze barely disturbs the still surface of the fishpond as schools of small silver fish dart underneath, their scales sparkling in the sunlight. Freshwater bubbles up from underground springs along the pond’s edge while ocean waves gently rock against the walls. This is Haleolono, a centuries-old reservoir used for traditional Hawaiian fish cultivation, and it provides an opportunity to rethink scientific data.

For centuries, fishponds have been essential for hawaiians to sustain their communities when ocean fishing was less successful. Today, marine conservationist Luka Kanakaʻole stewards this vital site, linking Hawaiian culture with ecological practices. Hale O Lono is part of the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, which fosters Hawaiian cultural education and sustains several significant sites, including the fishpond, offering workshops and immersion experiences.

At the fishpond, he carefully observes entries from the sea, monitoring fish health, feeding habits, and the influences of rising temperatures and sea levels. Like Tolentino-Potter’s property, the fishpond was previously a dumping ground before restoration efforts commenced in 1996. Since cement would “suffocate” the ecosystem, ongoing maintenance is crucial, and locals and visitors can aid in cleaning and rebuilding rock walls on the first Saturday of each month, while receiving history and culture lessons.

“We use this space to inspire diverse methods of analyzing and observing our changing environment, translating that into quantifiable data in our own language,” Kanakaʻole explains. “The chants and olis (Hawaiian chants) left by our ancestors are scientific data presented in a different format.” He elaborates that tales about Pele traversing the islands mirror the geological shifts within the Pacific plate. One of warriors adorned with a yellow feather cape roaming island to island indeed represents the migration of the yellow palila bird.

Kanakaʻole advocates for an inclusive approach to scientific discourse, positing that new perspectives can ignite interest by rendering information more relatable. “These narratives illuminate the evolution of our ecology. We can transform this data into language that resonates within our Hawaiian community.”

The island of Hawaiʻi stands as a focal point for environmental transformations, with significant occurrences such as the 2018 Puna eruption and the ongoing fungal crisis affecting the sacred ʻōhiʻa trees altering its landscape. Thanks to Kanakaʻole and his colleagues, new narratives will be woven into the local cultural dialogue, inspiring a generation of environmentally aware citizens in Hawaiʻi and beyond.

Bailey Freeman traveled to the island of Hawai’i with support from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.