Maui Cultural Lands is working to restore and preserve an ancient heiau at Launiupoko, an important cultural site just south of Lahaina. Overgrown with haole koa and invasive grasses, the site requires continuous clearing and maintenance to uncover its original lava rock structures and make way for the return of native plants. In ancient Hawaiʻi, heiau played a central role in spiritual life, serving as places of worship where offerings were made to the gods to ensure prosperity and balance in the community.

The area was once home to thriving groves of wiliwili trees, which Hawaiians used for canoes, surfboards, and fishing floats, while their flowers and seeds were woven into lei. In recent years, wiliwili populations have been decimated by invasive gall wasps, but efforts are underway to reintroduce young wiliwili (keiki wiliwili) from Honokōwai Valley to help revive the ecosystem.

With regular volunteer efforts, ongoing maintenance is needed to prevent invasive species from reclaiming the cleared land. Through continued stewardship, Maui Cultural Lands hopes to fully restore this historically and ecologically significant site, ensuring that future generations can connect with the land and its cultural heritage.

Launiupoko Workday | Select Saturdays @ 9:00 AM