The Waimea Nature Park
Ulu La‘au
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Our Vision
Our vision is to plant and nurture seeds in the community for
a healthy relationship between ourselves and our native environment.
Malama Pono! Be Watchful!
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Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a peaceful, accessible native park
with an education center which cultivates life-long stewardship
of the ‘aina, the earth, for the enrichment of the Kohala community
and all who visit.
E Komo Mai! Welcome!
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The name Ulu La‘au means "Garden of Trees". The Park is a 10
acre parcel of State land in the heart of Waimea town, leased by Waimea
Outdoor Circle for environmental research, education and restoration.
Our plan is to remove invasive/noxious plant species and replace them
with endangered and threatened plant species. We will provide long-term
maintenance of these plants, and provide an opportunity for environmental
education for local school groups and the general public. The
Park can also be a wonderful place to gather, picnic or simply stroll
and enjoy, an asset for our community.
The Park’s location at about 2,600 feet elevation near Waimea’s “dry
side” but frequently affected by “wet side” weather patterns, make possible
the growing of a wide range of species from both the wet and dry uplands.
Volunteering
We have volunteer days in the Park every other Saturday, from 9AM-Noon.
Contact for the volunteering is Carol Hendricks at 885-4453, but you
can also simply show up!
The Trail
The Waimea Trail, a project of
Waimea Trails and Greenways,
runs through the Nature Park. Eventually this trail will connect
many parts of Waimea, making it even easier to walk, jog or bicycle
to the park.
Community Uses
The park gets a lot of interesting uses from community functions
to school activities. Here is a link to the
Native Plant Treasure Hunt, at which a group of middle and high
school students from Kohala, Waimea and Waikoloa practice their GPS/GIS
skills and learn more about the unique plants that are native to the
habitats in the Waimea/Kohala area to create a special treasure
hunt for other students, educators and local community.
Wifi
As of June 2008, the park now has WIFI capability at most of the
picnic tables. Details.
Here are some early pictures of the park.
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