"LIMAHULI GARDEN - NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN" Kaua'i
Posted by: 
Mauison
N 22° 13.210 W 159° 34.542
4Q E 440667 N 2457309
Limahuli Garden on the Island of Kauai.
Waymark Code: WMTVQ
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 10/11/2006
Views: 43
Located on the north shore of Kauai, Limahuli Garden is part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden which was chartered by the United States Congress in 1964 as a privately-supported, non-profit research garden. The National Tropical Botanical Garden, the only major U.S. botanical garden located in the tropics, includes four gardens and three preserves on the islands of Kaua`i, Maui and Hawai`i, and one garden in Florida.
The mission of the National Tropical Botanical Garden is to be an internationally recognized leader and resource for the propagation, conservation, and study of tropical plants, and to share what is discovered so that public attitudes and behavior can be enlisted to help protect and enrich the environment.
Limahuli Garden's specific goal is to protect and enhance various habitats of native species living in Limahuli Valley and to restore important elements of the remnant native forest for future generations. It is dedicated to being an educational resource and provides a living classroom where scientists, students and visitors are equally at home.
Limahuli Garden and Preserve encompasses 1,000 acres on the wet north shore of Kaua`i. Set in a lush tropical valley surrounded by towering peaks sculpted by eons of wind and rain, Limahuli covers three distinct ecological zones and includes pristine Limahuli stream. Flowing from the top of the valley at 3300 feet above sea level, Limahuli stream plummets over a 1000 foot waterfall before coursing through the valley floor and merging with the ocean. This continuous flow provides habitat for many of Hawai`i's unique endemic and indigenous species which require both fresh and marine environments for their life cycles.
The Limahuli Garden offers an opportunity to learn about native plants that arrived by chance and evolved over millennia as well as plants brought to the islands by voyaging Polynesians and modern invasive species that today are taking over many native habitats.
Archaeological remains of some of the earliest known traces of the ancient Hawaiian culture are one of the first sights to greet the visitor upon entering Limahuli Garden. These striking features consist of ancient lava rock terraces (lo`i) where wet-land taro continues to thrive. Taro was an important food crop introduced and cultivated by Limahuli's early inhabitants, the Polynesians who arrived about 1500 years ago. In addition to its high nutritional value, the taro plant occupies an integral part in Hawaiian culture, mythology and economics.
Check the 'Island' where you found this 'Waymark': Kaua'i
Marker Name: Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden
Marker Type: Roadside
Check the type of marker: OTHER
Related web site.: Not listed
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