Land & Culture

In a 2022 survey, Volcano residents ranked preserving the health of the forest as their top concern. For centuries, Native Hawaiians recognized the forest’s spiritual significance, seeing every tree, bird, plant, and rock as a form of deity. Prior to European contact, Hawaiians visited the upper Puna forests to gather plants, harvest koa for canoes, collect feathers, and craft tools, leaving behind only small huts and sheds. Guardians such as Kū-ka-‘ōhi‘a-Laka, Ua-kuahine, and Kū-lili-ka-ua inspired prayers and protocols, ensuring safe passage and respect for the land. Today, caring for the forest remains a way of life, with residents committed to protecting both its natural and cultural integrity.

Volcano’s native forests are made up of a rich variety of native and endemic plants that arrived millions of years ago and carried by ocean, winds, or birds. They provide vital habitat for endemic birds like ʻapapane, ‘oma’o, amakihi, `io, and nēnē, as well as insects, spiders, and epiphytes. Nourished by centuries of ash, the rich volcanic soil supports three thriving tiers: tall ʻōhiʻa trees dominate the canopy, while mid-sized trees such as ōlapa, kāwaʻu, kōlea la nui, pilo, and māmaki, along with hapuʻu ferns, shelter the understory. Together, they create an ecosystem that controls erosion and slowly feeds springs and streams.

Today, these forests face threats from invasive species such as banana poka, Himalayan raspberry, strawberry guava, cane tibouchina, palm grass, and Himalayan ginger, which can overwhelm the forest floor. Rising temperatures, more mosquitoes, introduced coqui frogs, fires, lava flows, and development further stress native ecosystems. Shallow-rooted ʻōhiʻa are particularly vulnerable, and any disruption to the forest’s multi-layered structure opens the area to destructive plants, insects, and fungi.

Despite these challenges, Volcano remains a forest community. With protected lands nearby and residents committed to preservation, the village continues to honor its forest heritage while safeguarding its unique natural and cultural landscape.

Native birds that once thrived in the forests around Volcano are now declining due to rising temperatures, habitat loss, predators, and shrinking food sources. Since 1996, a dedicated team of professionals and volunteers has been working on the edge of Volcano to breed endangered birds in captivity and restore former ranch lands to native forest.

The Keauhou Bird Conservation Center (KBCC), a partnership of state, federal, and local organizations, the San Diego Zoo, and the Hawaiʻi Forest Institute, spans 150 acres leased from the Bishop Estate. Year by year, the center is bringing both forest and birds back to the area.

Critically endangered Hawaiian birds bred at KBCC include ‘alalā, puaiohi, palila, and kiwikiu. The goal is to release these birds to help sustain native understory fruiting species planted each year in the center’s Discovery Forest, including hō‘awa, kōlea, maile, māmaki, māmane, ‘ohelo, ‘olapa, pilo, and ‘ie’ie. Invasive plants such as blackberry, Himalayan raspberry, banana poka, firethorn, Himalayan ginger, faya, and strawberry guava are actively controlled to support this restoration.

Progress has been steady over more than 25 years. Since 2014, the center has restored approximately four acres of native forest each year, clearing invasive weeds, preparing planting sites, and engaging community volunteers to plant 435 trees per acre.