Plants of Hawai‘i
Plants of Hawai‘i Home Page He keiki aloha nā mea kanu. Beloved children are the plants. It is said of farmers that their plants are like beloved children, receiving much attention and care. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau no. 684, Mary Kawena Pukui. Naupaka kahakai (Scaevola taccada) Learn More The naupaka plant is known in several stories which provide the backstory for the flowers’ […]
Plants of Hawai‘i
Plants of Hawai‘i Home Page According to Dr. Tim Gallaher, Botanist for the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Hawaiʻi still has around 1,100 endemic species and 109 indigenous species of plants today. About 131 endemic species only known in Hawaiʻi are now believed to be extinct. Around 27 Polynesian-introduced species also remain in the islands. However, between 6,000 to 12,000 […]
Aloha nō au iā Kahulimoku
[Photo: Peter Kaawa; Kalaoa, North Kona, Hawaiʻi. ca. 1923; SP 59969.] Aloha nō au iā Kahulimoku Happy Mele Monday! “Mention has already been made of the original difficulty of procuring any ukeke in the field, and of the fact that after continual disappointment on Kauai and Oahu, the first reward for the search occurred in […]
Pōhaku of Hawai‘i
Pōhaku of Hawai‘i Home Page In Hawai‘i as well as other parts of the Pacific, our islands are composed of an igneous rock called basalt. As a resource so readily accessible at our fingertips, it isn’t surprising that a lot of historic materials found in our islands are made of this type of rock. These […]
Press Re-Packaging
Press Re-Packaging Home Page Bishop Museum’s new drive toward being single-use-plastic-free has inspired staff to implement more sustainable practices both inside and outside of museum workplaces. This is also true for the small team of the historic Bishop Museum Press, which has now made steps to reduce plastic waste in their packing and shipping practices. […]
HBS
The Hawaiʻi Biological Survey: A Bishop Museum Strategic Initiative to Document and Preserve Biodiversity By Kenneth A. Hayes, Director of the Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity at Bishop Museum Home Page This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, first proposed as a celebration to honor the Earth and peace. Later, it was recognized […]
Mary Kawena Pukui
[Photo: Mary Kawena Pukui making a kīkī basket of ʻilima twigs; Waimānalo, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. May 1939; SP_19704_5.] Mary Kawena Pukui “It is hoped that the chants obtained without music may also eventually be studied, translated, and published.” —Helen Roberts, Ancient Hawaiian Music When Helen Heffron Roberts (1888–1985) began her one-year survey of mele as appointed […]
Kaula Piko: The Source of Strings – The Story Behind the Exhibit
Kaula Piko: The Source of Strings – The Story Behind the Exhibit Home Page By DeSoto Brown, Bishop Museum Historian and Exhibit Co-Curator Bishop Museum’s upcoming exhibit, Kaula Piko: The Source of Strings, will tell the little-known story of the development of Hawaiian music from the 19th century and on, and how this genre of […]
What is Earth Day?
What is Earth Day? Home Page What is Earth Day? Wednesday, April 22, 2020, is Earth Day! Earth Day is a day set aside to recognize the importance of taking care of our planet, or as we call it in Hawaiʻi, mālama hōnua (taking care of the earth). The theme for this year’s Earth Day […]
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Lei
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Lei Home Page Lei are necklaces or garlands intended to be worn on the body or hung in significant ways. Many types of lei are made in Hawaiʻi, and across the Pacific, garlands and necklaces are seen in everyday life and on special occasions. Some of the more common types of lei […]
