Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 2000s – US Supreme Court opens OHA elections to all registered voters, Andy Irons wins most prestigious surfing titles in a single year: the World Championship, Triple Crown and Pipeline Masters and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument established. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.
‘It’s Different’
These weren’t the words expected by the questioner in my response to what I thought about my first trip into the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (now the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.) I think she was expecting words like: spectacular, pristine, resource rich, special, abundant, etc. Yes, it’s all those descriptors, too; and for me, therefore, “different.” While I was Chair at DLNR, we created the Refuge rules to ensure their conservation and natural character for present and future generations.
This started a process where several others followed with similar protective measures. President Bush declared it a Marine National Monument and UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site. Some ask why we imposed such stringent limitations on use in this area. For me, it ended up to be pretty simple; it is the responsibility we share to future generations, to allow them to see what it looks like at a place in the world where you don’t take something.
Churchill
“Among the many tales of shipwreck on the Pacific few are more thrilling than that of the rescue of the captain and crew of the schooner Churchill on French Frigate shoals”.
Launched on March 4, 1900, the 178-foot, 600-ton 4-masted schooner Churchill was built by the Simpson Lumber Co for their own account. the night of October 25, 1917, “The Churchill was 27 days out from Nukualofa, Tongata, when she drifted upon a reef of the French Frigate shoals.” (All were saved)
Koʻanakoʻa
The name Koʻanakoʻa literally means the settling of coral, referring to Maro’s expansive coral reefs. It is one of the Hawaiian Islands chain’s most ecologically rich shallow water marine ecosystems. It was named ’Maro’ in 1820 after the whaling ship that sighted it.
Unlike the classic ring-shaped atoll, Maro Reef is a complex maze of linear reefs that radiate out from the center like the spokes of a wheel. Maro’s reefs are intricate and reticulated (like a net or network,) forming a complex network of reef crests, patch reefs and lagoons.
Hot Spot
Kupuna means elder, grandparent or ancestor. The islands to the northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands have been referred to as the Kupuna Islands. The Hawaiian chain is made up of volcanic islands. Kilauea Volcano has been erupting since 1983. Mauna Loa is also an active volcano. Off the coast, to the southeast, Loʻihi is […]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next Page »