Protected Lands: Hawaiʻi Island
Kīpuka Mosaic Project -
Volcano, Keaʻau, Puna
Taylor 1
The first of 3 conservation easements with landowner, Dan Taylor, this consists of 3.4 acres near the Kahauale‘a State Natural Area Reserve. The forest is primarily dominated by ‘Ōhi‘a trees (Metrosideros polymorpha), but also include ‘Ōlapa (Cheirodendron trigynum), Kōlea (Myrsine lessertiana), Uluhe (Dicranopteris linearis) and Hāpu‘u pulu (Cibotium glaucum). Native birds include ‘Apapane (Himatione sanguine) and ‘Oma‘o (Hemignathus virens virens), while there may be a presence of ‘Elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis sandwichensis) and ‘Io (Buteo solitaries)
Taylor 2
An additional 3 acres were added into a conservation easement by Dan Taylor to protect native ‘Ōhi‘a forest and associated plant communities in perpetuity.
Taylor 3
Permanently protected 3-acre area in the Royal Hawaiian Estates subdivision of Volcano. Since 2010, Dan Taylor has donated two other easements to HILT. Dan is creating a corridor of protected ‘Ōhi‘a forest for endangered native birds, bats, and butterflies to thrive.
Dan Taylor arrived in Volcano in 1979 and worked his way up to being the Chief of Natural Resources Management for the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, retiring in 1995. He has a deep love for the forests, birds and wildlife of the area and has made it his life’s work to conserve those lands he cares for. Dan’s work now is to bring local people together to protect the lands they love. For many, the largely pristine environment of the Volcano area is the reason they chose to live, work and visit there; the health of the land is strongly connected with the quality of life for the local community.
The goals of the easement are:
Preserve native ‘Ōhi‘a forest and associated plant communities in perpetuity
Extend the resource protection afforded to neighboring Kahauale‘a Natural Area Reserve, ʻŌla‘a Forest Reserve, and Volcanoes National Park
