Ke Alahou, Volume I, Number 6, 1 Mei 1980 — KALOKO, O'AHU [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

KALOKO, O'AHU

by Ray Tabata

Just minutes by car from metropolitan Honolulu ean be found one of the finest field trip sites along 0'ahu's coastline. Kaloko, immediately past Sandy Beach Park, is considered to be one of the best places to learn about native coastal plants. tidepool life. geology, and c>ther ocean-related topics. Kaloko is a favored shoreline field trip site due to its resources, acciessibility, proximity to Honolulu schools, availability of neārby restrooms and emergency phones, and generally safe conditions, even for young children. Kaloko is known to many loeal people as or Alan Davis Beach. Kaloko. meaning "the pond," was where Alan Stanford Davis ieased Bishop Estate land extending from Kamehame Gap to Makapu'u Bluff. He called his holdings Wawamalu Ranch, named after a Hawaiian village in the area. In April 1946, the ranchhouse was destroyed by a huge tsunami. Even today, the stone \vall marking the boundary of Wawamalu Ranch ean be seen at the edge of Wawamalu Beach Park. ' ■ Among the*unique features of Kaloko are its native coastaI plants. Although not quite as diverseas Ka'ena Point, Kaloko offers a number of coastaI plants that are found onIy in the Hawaiian Islands — or endemic to Hawāi'i. For example, ma'o (Hawaiian cotton) ean be found among the boulders scatterēd thronglioūt behind the sand dunes. AIso, akoko, a native spurge (related to kukui and poinsetta) ean be found between rocks next to Kalama Stream. It takes a trained eye to spot Hawaiian nama, a tinyplant with a blue bell-shaped flower. One of the more eommon endemic plants is pa'u-o-Hi'iaka, or "skirt of Hi'iaka," a native morning-glory. It also has a bluebell-shaped flower about a quarter-inch high. The planl is said to have protected Pele's baby sister, Hi'iaka, from the scorching sun. Naio, or bastard sandalwood, is also

scattered in the area. Naio earned its name as it was used as a substitute for 'iliahi. the "true" sandalwood whieh heeame increasingly scarce due to exploitation. Another endemic plant is the nehe. a member ,of the sunflower family wiih small daisy-like flowers. There are many other Hawaiian coastal plants that are native to Hawaii — although found on other Pacific Islands. These "indigenous" plants include hinahina-ku-kahakai, a beach heliotrope with fragrant white flowers representing the island of Kaho'olawe, 'ihi, a native portulaca: 'ilima. the flower of O'ahu; 'ohelo-kai, a native member of the tomato family; and, of caurse, naupaka-kahakai, the rnost eommon and conspicuous plant at K,aIoko. UnfortW nately, some of these native plants suffer by having their sandy habitats destroyed by four-wheel drives, sand buggies, and dirtbikes that over sand dunes and other sensitive areas. The nearby tidepools whieh are expōsed at low tides offer a wide variety of limu,(marine aigae) and oJher marine life like shells, fish, and hermit crabs. The variety of possible activities keeps most children captivated for hours. , Ma Honolulu nei, aia kekahi wahi maikai loa no ka 'ike ana i na mea ulu kamaaina o Hawai'i nei. He wahi maikai no ia no ka hoao ana i na laau e ulu nei ma ke kapakai o ko Hawaii mau mokupuni. Aia no 'o Kaloko mao aku o Sandy Beach Park. He wahi maikai no ka makaikai ana no ka mea, maalahi ke ala e hiki ai i keia wahi. Kokoke o Kaloko i ko Honolulu mau kula. He mau lumi ho'omaha a he mau kelepona ulia popilikia ko keia-wahi. ,

O Queens a o Alan Davis Beach kekahi mau inoa kamaaina o ia wahi. Ua ho'olimalima 'ia keia aina e Alan Sanford Davis, Aka. noBishop Estate keia aina. Ua kapa ia keia wahi o Wawamalu Ranch. 0 Wawamalu ka inoa o kekahi kauhale ma keia wahi i ka wa ma mua. Ma ka mahina Apelila i ka makahiki 1946, ua pau ka "Ranch i ke kai hoee. Aka, i keia la. hiki no ia oe ke ike maka4 kekahi paia pohaku o ke palena aina o ka •'^aneh." 'O kekahi mea nui o ia wahi. o ia na mea ulu kapakai. O ia ho'.i na mea uiu kapakai ko Hawaii waie no. Oia ka mao. akoko. pau o Hiiaka. naio a me ka nehe. *:• Ay o na mea ulu o Hawaii nei a me na wahi e a'e o ka Pakipika waie no, o ia hoi ka hinahina ku kahakai. ihi, ilima, ohelo kai a me ka naupaka kahakai. 1 ke kai maloo, hoike ia na limu like'ole a me na mea ma'a mau o ke kai.

Ikuwa is the month wheu sugar elne £lowersand falls to the ground. Ikuwa-ka-poha koeleele ka malama e lehu ai ka pua ko a helelei iho.