High above the Kapalua Resort at the top of the West Maui Mountain range sits Pu’u Kukui Watershed Preserve the largest private nature preserve in the state of Hawaiʻi. Extending across more than 9,000 acres from mauka (mountain) to makai (sea) of Mauna Kahālāwai on Mauiʻs West side, it is home to some of the rarest endangered flora and fauna in the islands. This pristine area is a vital water source for Mauiʻs community and one of the wettest spots on earth. Most recently, under new management, the ancestral wisdom of Hawaiian elders has been laid as the foundation for conservation efforts in the preserve; providing a culturally sensitive and informed approach to managing the thriving native ecosystem of Puʻu Kukui. Conservation endeavors include non-native invasive species control, weed control, monitoring, research and most importantly protecting rare species.

Established at the behest of ML&P’s visionary president, Colin C. Cameron, in 1988, the designation of Pu‘u Kukui Watershed as a management area recognized the need to effectively manage and protect the natural resources of ML&P’s conservation lands. Shortly before his untimely death in 1992, Cameron and Maui Land & Pineapple Co., Inc., granted to The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i a permanent conservation easement of 8,304 acres, creating the largest private nature preserve in Hawai‘i.

A decade earlier in 1978, Honolua Bay and Mokule‘ia Bay, situated within the company’s landholdings, were designated a Marine Life Conservation District. This designation helped establish ML&P’s makai stewardship program, which monitors the coastline and coral reef ecosystems that provide both recreation and sustenance for Maui’s visitors and residents.

The Preserve is managed by a small team of conservationists who work tireless to install and repair fences to keep out non-native species (like feral pigs) and invasive non-indigenous fauna that can cripple this biologically diverse environment.  By insuring the safety of the water source, the preservation efforts insure the continued health and safety of these precious natural resources for generation to come.

For more information on these critically important efforts or to make a donation, visit www.puukukui.org