It’s one thing to enjoy nature; it’s another to study and understand it. That was a lesson Allison Borell quickly learned when she moved to Maui in 2002 and landed a job leading environmental hikes.
“I have a bachelor’s degree in recreation management, but when I was training as a guide, I had to learn about the history of Hawaii and its biota,” said Borell, community outreach and education liaison for the East Maui Watershed Partnership. “From my research I realized most of the plants I was showing visitors were introduced species, not natives. Native species, including animals, got to Hawaii without human help via the three Ws — wind, waves or wings. They were either blown by the wind, drifted or swam here on ocean currents or arrived on birds’ feet or feathers or as ingested seeds or fruits.”
In 2006, Borell gained more insights when she started working in remote areas as a field assistant for the West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership (now the Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership). Her “aha moment” came there, in pristine native rainforests high in the mountains.
“Many plants and animals traveled thousands of miles to get here, and they evolved to adapt to our environment,” Borell said. “Ninety percent of Hawaii’s native flowering plants are found nowhere else in the world. My heart broke as I learned about habitat loss, human impacts that altered the landscape and introductions of new diseases and invasive species. The pine, albizia, ironwood and strawberry guava trees that we see everywhere are not natives; they are examples of invasives that can overwhelm the natives.”
In her role at EMWP, Borell uses the knowledge she has acquired to spread the word about the importance of protecting native species through various public educational programs, activities and events. They include Malama Wao Akua (Realm of the Gods), which will be on view for seven weeks at Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center.
The idea for the annual juried art exhibition came in the fall of 2003, when Kat Lui, Borell’s predecessor at EMWP, took a class at the center from the late Connie Adams, a watercolor artist. As Lui worked on an illustration of an akohekohe (an endangered crested honeycreeper found only on Maui), she came up with the thought of marrying her love of art and science in an art contest that spotlighted the native birds, plants, animals and insects of Maui County (Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe).
Lui chose the exhibition’s name, Malama Wao Akua. Malama means “to take care of,” and wao akua refers to “the realm of the gods,” Hawaii’s upper mountain regions. Native land species of plants are making their last stand there; areas below the 2,500-foot elevation are dominated by non-natives.
Thanks to the support of Alex Michaelidis, who was EMWP’s program manager at the time, and Oliver Perz, manager of Viewpoints Gallery in Makawao, the show debuted in the fall of 2004. In addition to Viewpoints, it was displayed at Haleakala National Park and Hana Public Library for about a month at each location.
In 2015, Malama Wao Akua moved to Hui No‘eau to accommodate the growing number of participating artists and visitors (some 600 people attend the opening reception alone). There were about 50 entrants in the early years; now more than 150 artists submit up to three creations each, including dozens of elementary, middle and high school students.
This year marks the exhibition’s 15th year (it has been held every year except 2006 when EMWP decided to sponsor a poetry slam instead). Borell has been involved with the planning since she joined EMWP in 2010.
All entrants must be residents of Maui, Molokai or Lanai. There are four divisions: adult, high school (grades 9-12), middle school (grades 6-8) and elementary school (kindergarten-grade 5). Both amateur and professional artists are welcome.
Entries can be in any medium, but they must be original work created within the past two years and have not been previously shown, even on a website. The main topic must be a native species of Maui County either by itself or in a habitat from mountaintop to near-shore reef. The piece can also depict people working to protect native species or habitats.
This year’s jurors are artist Joelle C., Viewpoints Gallery’s art director, and Bob Hobdy, a retired forester, environmental consultant and native plant expert. They’ll select 30 to 90 pieces for the exhibition based on criteria such as creativity, technique and originality of concept. Some of the artwork will be available for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to EMWP and Hui No‘eau.
“The quality of the art is amazing,” Borell said. “It could be the level of detail in a hand-drawn insect or how the magnificence of a rainforest on canvas inspires the same sense of awe and wonder that I get when I’m actually there. Researching topics can be an eye-opening journey for artists. Last year, they collectively represented 73 different native species.”
She sees Malama Wao Akua as an innovative way to share an important message about conservation.
“Our collaboration with Hui No‘eau celebrates native species and raises awareness about the importance of protecting them and the forested upper regions of Hawaii,” Borell said. “It provides viewers with a glimpse of what the islands were like before Western contact. Many of our native species are rare and fragile and only found today in places that are either inaccessible or closed to the public. The exhibit brings wao akua to the community with the hope that they will help malama it.”
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IF YOU GO: MALAMA WAO AKUA
>> Where: Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center, 2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao, Maui
>> When: Sept. 13 through Nov. 2
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: 808-572-6560, email info@huinoeau.org or go to malamawaoakua.org
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RELATED EVENTS
Hui No‘eau is the venue; free admission.
Friday – Opening reception
5 to 8 p.m.
There will be a blessing, awards ceremony, hula by Wehiwehi O Leilehua Halau and refreshments. Thereafter, the exhibition will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sept. 26
5 to 6 p.m.
Dr. Art Medeiros, program manager for the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project, will lead guests through Malama Wao Akua, sharing cultural and scientific information about the species depicted in the artwork.
Oct. 12 – Family Day
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This event will feature local food, art demonstrations, family-friendly activities and, plants and crafts for sale.
Oct. 24
5 to 6 p.m.
Repeat of the Sept. 26 format. Speaker: Dr. Fern Duvall II, Maui County program manager, state Department of Land and Natural Resources/Division of Forestry and Wildlife Ecosystems Protection and Management.
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
