ʻO ʻApelila ka Mahina Lāʻau Kamaʻāina! (April is Native Hawaiian Plant Month!)
Not to be a bummer, but did you know that Hawaii is the extinction capital of the world? Sadly, it’s true. Out of 1400 native plants, nearly 90% are found only in Hawaiʻi, and more than 200 of them have 50 or fewer plants remaining! Auwe!
That’s why we here at Kākou Collective believe in spreading all the knowledge about how amazing our native lāʻau (plants) are, in the hopes that increased appreciation for our ʻāina (land) will help preserve our precious native plants!
This month, we have the honor of collaborating with two awesome wahine (women) whose companies’ missions align with our cultural and community values by perpetuating Hawaiian culture and prioritizing native plants: Emily States and Danya Weber. We are going to collectively provide fun tidbits about some of our favorite Native Hawaiian Plants all month long.
Here’s a bit about us and how you can celebrate Native Hawaiian Plant month:
Kea Peters - Owner and Illustrator of Kakou Collective
This Native Hawaiian illustrator and owner of Kākou Collective connects people to the values, traditions, and stories of Hawaiʻi through home and lifestyle goods with original artwork while cultivating opportunities to exercise creativity, intention, and mindfulness.
Kakou Collectiveʻs mission is to create and share authentic artistic expression that inspire creators to connect with the cultural values, traditions, and communities of Hawaiʻi. From thoughtfully selecting the type of plants we draw, to the collections we curate, we weave Hawaiʻi's story and our love of local culture into all we do. By mixing aloha ʻāina and contemporary expression, we hope to enrich your life through storytelling and creative expression.
Follow her journey and support her work through her website or join her community on Instagram to get daily tutorials of how to illustrate Native Hawaiian Plants for the month of April.
Emily States - Owner and Illustrator of Kaulumaika
This awesome wahine promotes Hawaiian plants and language through her beautiful artwork and business, Kaulumaika. Her company’s mission is to, “Redefine the world's perspective of Hawaiian Culture through creativity, community, and education.”
Follow her journey and support her work through her website or join her community on Instagram where she provides content on Native Hawaiian Plants and Hawaiian Language.
Danya Weber - Owner and Illustrator of Laulima Hawaii
Danya is a conservation biologist and artist extraordinaire who founded Laulima Hawaii. The goal of Laulima Hawai'i is to support conservation efforts, build resilience against climate change, and reintegrate native species into people’s everyday lives.
Follow Danya's journey and support her work through her website or join her community on Instagram where she advocates for Native Hawaiian Plants, shares her knowledge, and provides resources so that you can be an advocate too.
Mahalo for the resource used for this article:
Ho‘okahua Cultural Vibrancy Group. “Lā'au Love: Letʻs Celebrate Native Hawaiian Plant Month!” Native Hawaiian Plant Month, Kamehameha Schools, 6 Apr. 2021, https://www.ksbe.edu/article/laau-love-lets-celebrate-native-hawaiian-plant-month.
