Kauai’s Fabulous Flora and Fauna
Hawaii is one of the most biologically remarkable places in the world
Kauai, Hawaii, is often called the Garden Island. More than 400 inches of rain fall on central Mt. Waialeale, fountainhead of the spectacular waterfalls and all seven major rivers on the island.
The result is the incredibly lush landscape most of the island enjoys.
National Geographic has dubbed the Hawaiian Islands one of the most biologically remarkable places in the world. Due to its isolation, it surpasses even the Galapagos Islands for the number and variety of species that evolved from a common ancestor. There are several places on Kauai that are ideal for viewing its biological bounty.
National Tropical Botanical Garden
Even if you wouldn’t normally visit a garden, you’ll probably like this one, the guidebook promised. We were at the National Tropical Botanical Garden discovering its collection of tropical fruit and spice trees, rare and native plants and hundreds of varieties of flowers. The only way to see the 186-acre preserve is on a two-hour guided tour. Wendy, our guide, was obviously passionate about plants.
“People rush off to the zoo to see endangered animals,” she said, “but they just don’t think as much about plants.”
According to Wendy, this is shortsighted. Even though 25 percent of prescription medications are plant-based, less than one tenth of one percent of plant species have been studied for medicinal usefulness. The implications are clear. We are allowing plants that have potential to heal our illnesses to simply disappear before we know what we’ve lost.
Besides being a place of incredible beauty, the Tropical Garden’s mandate is public education as well as the study and propagation of rare plants.
Included in the tour is the adjacent Allerton Garden. Known worldwide for its landscaping, design and setting, this private 125-acre valley garden is set amid fountains, streams, waterfalls and statues.
Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge
“Be on the lookout for web-footed boobies,” our guide warned.
You just knew some eternal adolescent was going to snicker, and of course it had to be me. While Cathy pretended not to know me, I listened as Nancy, our guide, named the other birds we could expect to see on our hike: albatross, tropicbird, frigate bird, Hawaiian duck and goose.
One of the best places to bird watch on Kauai is at Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge. If you pre-book, a two-hour guided hike through the refuge is included in the two dollar park entrance. The site looks over some of the most spectacular views on the island. The high point of the trek at 568 feet is the top of a crater that has mostly collapsed into the sea, providing a perfect roosting area for seabirds.
As well as birds, Nancy pointed out interesting vegetation. One of the plants, the alula, needs to be hand pollinated to ensure its survival as the bird that naturally pollinates it is at the point of extinction.
Another fascinating species is the tiny fern-like ahea-hea or “ashamed” plant, so-called because it shrinks when touched.
The refuge is also the site of a picturesque lighthouse built in 1913. Its beacon was turned off in the 1970s and has been replaced by an automatic light, but its position at the edge of a stunning rocky headland makes for a postcard shot
Wailua River and the Fern Grotto
The Wailua River and Wailua Valley provide opportunities to view a stunning variety of exotic plant and animal life and are home to The National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a great area to see waterfalls, including the breathtaking Wailua Falls. These were the falls featured in the opening credits of the television show Fantasy Island , just before Tattoo shouted, “Da plane, da plane!”
The Fern Grotto is only accessible by boat up the Wailua River and is one of Kauai’s favorite attractions. Here you enter a cave cloaked with ferns and cooled by the mists of a waterfall. At one time the grotto was off-limits to all but Hawaiian royalty. But for more than 50 years, riverboats have provided tours of the site. Another way to see the grotto is to rent a kayak and paddle up the river on your own.
Hanalei River and Valley
Surrounded by lush mountains, Hanalei Valley provides habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterfowl. The Hanalei River is one of 16 designated American Heritage Rivers. Taro is grown by farmers in the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge and irrigated by a system of ditches and channels that return to the river.
The overall impression of the valley and river when viewed from the overlooks and country roads is of some verdant Garden of Eden.
To protect wildlife, public access to the refuge is prohibited. However, it is possible to experience the river up close in a kayak, which is what we did. Our guided paddle started at the edge of the wildlife refuge, and our guide Doug described some of the plant and wildlife we would see.
One particular flower, the hau, is a member of the hibiscus family and is notable for it booming yellowing in the morning, turning red in the afternoon, and dropping off the stem in the evening.
The river flowed serenely toward the ocean, but our river trip got a little more exciting as we entered Hanalei Bay and negotiated four-foot waves before reaching a calmer channel between the reef and shore. We followed this to Hideaway Beach where we enjoyed great snorkeling on the reef before the paddle back up the river.
These places and many more in Kauai demonstrate clearly why it is known as the Garden Island.
Author: Jeff Lukovich and Cathy Lukovich
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