1. ‘Ohia Tree
The ‘Ohia tree is an endemic tree
in Hawaii. It was sacred to the
Hawaiians partially because it
managed to grow straight out of
hard black lava rock. The flowers
are used in leis as well as the
leaves. The wood was used in
many ways by the Hawaiian
because it is dense and very
hard. It’s the official flower of the
island of Hawaii.

2. Pahoehoe Lava
Pahoehoe lava is lava that is created in a thick, slow moving lava flow that had
very little gas in it. The ropey, twisted texture is created went the molten lava
encounters an obstacle and buckles, forming folds and ridges. Eruption that cause
pahoehoe lava flows are generally slower, quieter, and longer lasting that a’a lava
flows, which are more explosive.

3. Pololu Valley
Pololu Valley was the home of King Kamehaheha as a child. It was an ideal place to
grow taro before a tsunami made the marsh near it’s mouth briny. The tsunami
also left large sand dunes which are held in place now by a forest of ironwood
trees. The valley is on one of the oldest parts of the island and is large because it
has had time to form. Being on the windward side of the island, heavy rains carved
the deep valley out of the mountains.

4. Pu’uhonua O’ Honaunau
Pu’uhonua O’ Honaunau is a National Historical Park. A Pu’uhonua was a place of
refuge. If someone broke Kapu, the sacred laws of the Hawaiians, the only
punishment was death. The offender’s only hope for survival was to reach a
Pu’uhonua. Once inside, no harm could be done and the offender was forgiven in
the eyes of the gods. They were distributed around the islands to ensure one was
never too far away from a second chance.

5. Pu’ukohola Heiau
A heiau is a temple built by Hawaiians to achive a goal. They were built to please
the gods that would have an effect on whether that goal was reached or not.
Pu’ukohola, meaning place of the hill of the whale, was built by King Kamehameha
I in order to please the god of war. He wanted to go to war with other cheifs
because doing so would allow him to unite the Hawaiian islands. The heiau was
built by his army. They formed a chain from his birthplace, Pololu Valley, to the
site it was to be built on. Every rock in the structure was passed hand-over-hand
from the valley, never touching the ground on it’s journey to the heiau. This not
only strengthened the men in the king’s army, but was also believed to increase
the power of the heiau.