Wear good walking shoes and rain gear; carry insect repellent, sunscreen, and extra water for the self-guided tour of the six-acre Ke'anae Arboretum, located about halfway to Hana.
The first half mile of the trail passes through introduced plants such as ornamental ginger, papaya, and hibiscus. At the end of this section is a taro patch (lo'i kalo) filled with lots of Hawaiian varieties of this essential food source. The next one-mile section of the trail leads through a Hawaiian rain forest.
There is no admission charge.
Two of Maui's largest botanical gardens are dedicated to the cause of preserving the plants essential to native Hawaiian culture. At these gardens the cause of conserving native and Polynesian plant species is inseparable from the greater cause of conserving native culture and traditional lifestyle.
These sites are leaders in the general effort to malama, or care for, Maui's cultural and natural riches. On the next page will look at the first of these two gardens.
