Environmental Conservation

Environmental Education

There is a coral reef directly in front of the Honua Kai and the resort has posted informational signs which can easily be seen as you walk over a bridge on the way to the beach and ocean.  The signs inform guests that a healthy coral reef is vital to the area and that snorkeling over and around coral should be done without harming the coral.  Feeding fish by hand should not be done since it easily upsets the natural balance of predator and prey fish.  Too many of one type can harm the coral reef as a side effect of fish feeding.

The goal is to have a healthy coral reef in front of the Honua Kai and the signs will ensure that folks who swim/snorkel/SCUBA dive nearby are stewards of the Honua Kai.

Endangered green sea turtle (honu)

Two endangered species of marine and mammal creatures visit the beach right in front of the Honua Kai – the green sea turtle (Honu) and the Hawaiian monk seal.  There are informational signs along the Honua Kai shore line that inform guests of these rare animals and that its not cool to run, scream, and chase these gentle animals.

Retention Ponds

Retention ponds (huge “bowls” of scooped out beach sand and soil) were deliberately designed and landscaped into the Honua Kai property to protect the beach and ocean from soil run-off during heavy rain storms.  The concept of fertigation means that the soil that does run into the retention ponds fertilizes the plants that have deep roots in the ponds to hold the retention ponds together for a long time.

Wetlands and Dunes

The Honua Kai is the ONLY resort on Maui with a wetland pond on the property.  When Honua Kai was designed special attention was paid to the wetland pond to insure it remains alive and healthy today with a great future.  The aukuu (black-crowned night heron) and kolea (Pacific golden plover) have begun stopping here to preen and rest at the Honua Kai wetland pond.  It really adds something to the feeling of being with nature while at the beach.

Almost invisible to the eye are sand dunes which line the beach in front of the Honua Kai.  These sand dunes form a line of defense against howling winds during intense storms and shield the resort from drifting sand.  This can happen often during the year in Maui.  The sand dunes also act as a warehouse of sand that can be used to replace beach sand lost during large pacific storms.