Dry wind in Ahupu 'ili

The background picture for the website is a picture I took of Jeff while we were visiting the Ahupu 'ili in the central part of the island. An 'ili is a division in the traditional Hawaiian land tenure system. Kaho'olawe has eight 'ili (condensed from twelve), each running from the sea to the island's spine. The picture is fairly typical of the island, which usually receives less than 25 inches of rain each year.

Much of the green in the background is Australian saltbush, an invasive species which is drought and salt tolerant. In the foreground, most of the topsoil has been stripped away, leaving small patches of grass surrounded by hardpan, which is almost impervious to water. Restoration projects on Kaho'olawe include planting native species which can protect the topsoil that remains and trap rainwater, giving it more time to percolate down into the island. More photos to come.