‘Iolani Palace: A storied past and living history

May 23, 2013

Stately and dignified among the modern lines of skyscrapers in Downtown Honolulu, ‘Iolani Palace remains the crown jewel of the Hawaiian monarchy, a distinction it has held since its construction, which was commissioned by King David Kalakaua. The palace’s cornerstone was laid in 1789 and construction was completed in 1882. The architecture is unique, known as American Florentine.

‘Iolani Palace is actually the second palace to be constructed on the site. The original palace, a more modest structure, fell into disrepair following the construction of Ali’iolani Hale nearby, originally a royal residence commissioned by King Kamehameha V. Over time, due to the need for a government building for the functions of the monarchy, Ali’iolani Hale became an administrative building.

Following his ascension to the throne, King Kalakaua ordered the original ‘Iolani Palace demolished, and the ‘Iolani Palace we know today was built. It remains the only royal palace in the United States, and was wired for electricity and telephones even before the White House in Washington D.C.

Two monarchs, King Kalakaua and Queen Lili’uokalani, resided at ‘Iolani Palace until the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. Following the overthrow, the Provisional Government of Hawai’i assumed control of the palace and installed administrative offices. The palace’s contents were inventoried, and, in some cases sold at auction. Lili’uokalani was placed under house arrest in a small upstairs room in the palace.


‘Iolani Palace was first officially restored in 1935, but after decades of administrative use and neglect it fell into disrepair. Governor John A. Burns began new restorations in the early 1960’s and the palace was designated as a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Registry of Historic Places as a result of those efforts.

The palace was opened to the public in 1978 after the completion of structural renovations. ‘Iolani Palace is now a state of the art museum, and home to some of the most important cultural and historical artifacts in Hawai’i.

Through extensive acquisitions research, many palace objects lost to time have been returned and restored, and can be seen on daily public tours of the palace and its 10-acre grounds. Much of the palace itself is open to tours, during which visitors can see a quilt sewn by Queen Lili’uokalani during her captivity and some of the royal crown jewels.


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Getting Beaky with Hawaii’s Favorite Bird

May 6, 2013

We’ve got the gossip on Hawaii’s favorite goose – the Nene (pronounced nay-nay) Goose. Native to the Hawaiian Islands and the official state bird of Hawaii, the name “Nene” refers to the gentle chirp it makes.

Though the Nene spends a majority of its time on land, they do fly – typically between nesting and feeding areas. The Nene Goose has unique markings — a black face and hind neck, with cream-colored cheeks and furrowed neck with black and pale gray stripes. The female goose has very similar markings to its male counterpart, and most people can only distinguish them by their slightly smaller (more feminine) size. In order to help the Nene Goose navigate the rough terrain and lava plains it calls home, its feet are padded with less webbing than the average bird.

The Nene is an herbivore that grazes on available vegetation, preferring leaves, seeds, berries and flowers.

The Nene’s Hawaii Love Nest
Though it was once established on six Hawaiian Islands, today the Nene is found only on Hawaii Island, Maui, Molokai and Kauai. On these islands, the Nene hides out in shrubland, grassland, coastal dunes and most often lava planes.

The Nene Goose’s breeding season runs for nine months from August to April, which is longer than any other goose. Most geese lay their eggs – on average around three a season — between November and January. Female geese are responsible for incubating the eggs while the males stand watch – a period which can take anywhere between 29 to 32 days. Once hatched these independent chickadees are able to forage for themselves but don’t leave the nest until the following breeding season.

Protecting the Nene Population
Historians believe that there were once nine different species of geese that evolved in Hawaii from ancestors including the Canada Goose. All but one of these species became extinct – the remaining goose, the Nene Goose remains under threat of extinction as a result of hunting, egg collecting, and the threat of non-native species like mongooses, cats, pigs, dogs and rats. As a result, the Hawaiian Nene Goose the sixth most endangered waterfowl species and the rarest goose in the world. While historians believe that roughly 25,000 Nene Geese lived in Hawaii before foreigners arrived to the islands in the 1700s, their numbers dwindled to as low as 30 birds in 1952.

Thanks to preservation efforts however, the Nene Goose has bred well in captivity and successfully reintroduced to its natural habitat. Today, there are roughly 800 Nene Goose living in the wild throughout the Hawaiian Islands with around 1,000 birds in collections and zoos around the world.

To help reintroduce the population, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park launched a captive breeding and reintroduction program sometime in the 1970s. Though their efforts have been hampered by feral cat, mongoose attacks and car accidents, park staff have incorporated a number of new techniques to improve the number of Nene Goose breeding and keep predators from their habitat.

In order to help identify and track the birds to help monitor their numbers and reproduction, park biologists apply leg bands to all Nene birds – both wild and in captivity.

Another Nene Goose rehabilitation program is the Friends of Haleakala National Park program, which is helping to reintroduce the Nene Goose back to Maui. Started in the 1960s, today the program provides a home to roughly 300 geese, with 200 more in West Maui.

For those who would like to learn more about the Haleakala National Park Nene Goose rehabilitation program or to “adopt” a Nene Goose, please visit the Friends of Haleakala National Park. Your donation of $30 or more can help this special species numbers take flight.


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Drift Away with Lantern Floating Hawaii

April 15, 2013

Photo credit: Shinnyo-en

Each year Memorial Day is a time for people from around the country to honor those who have given their lives to protect our freedom. In the islands many use the day to visit the graves of loved ones.



Photo credit: Shinnyo-en

To help cultivate cultural harmony and understanding, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, the Head of the Shinnyo-en Buddhist Order, launched the first Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony on Memorial Day in 1999. For the first three years the ceremony was held at Keehi Lagoon until 2002, when the service was moved to Ala Moana Beach Park where it has been ever since. While elements of the ceremony are taken from religious traditions, Shinnyo-en, in partnership with other groups, has adapted the ceremony to be a interfaith celebration of the people who have come before us.



Photo credit: Shinnyo-en

This year Lantern Floating Hawaii will celebrate its 15th annual event on Memorial Day, May 27, 2013. The event — which regularly draws tens of thousands of people who flock from around Oahu and the world to Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park and countless more who tune in through a live stream and broadcast — allows participants to reflect and honor those who have passed on. Many families will actually camp out and make a day out of it to enjoy the live entertainment that precedes the show. As the sun sets more than 5,000 candlelit lanterns are set afloat in the ocean, a Buddhist practice and ceremony based on the concept of “many rivers, one oceans.”



Photo credit: Shinnyo-en

Participants are invited to choose a lantern, write their remembrance or prayer on a special piece of paper that is placed on one of the remembrance lanterns. The lantern tent opens at 10 a.m. the day of the event for those looking to write a remembrance on a collective remembrance lantern. Those who wish to share a message or memory of a loved one who has passed can submit their thoughts online at www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com by the week prior to the event. All messages received will be included on the lanterns released during the ceremony. It is free to receive a lantern or send a message, though donations are accepted for the City and County of Honolulu.



Photo credit: Shinnyo-en

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