Partner of the Month Maui Cultural Lands
Maui Cultural Lands, Inc (MCL), is a Maui-based grassroots land trust organization whose mission is to stabilize, protect, and restore Hawaiian cultural resources. What is a cultural resource you may ask? Cultural resources are physical evidence like objects, natural features or places that represent past human activity and significance to a group of people associated with that resource. The Hawaiian lands and their resources are gifts to us, not to be abused or forgotten! The MCL founders Edwin “Ed” Robert Naleilehua Lindsey Jr. and his wife Puanani established MCL with a deep sense of Kuleana, or responsibility to the land and its gifts. The primary goal of MCL is to reforest Honokawai Valley and the Kaanapali area with native and endemic Hawaiian plant species. Although Honokawai Valley was the first project and is ongoing, MCL currently has ongoing projects at Kaheawa-Hanaula, Launiupoko, and Ukumehame, each with objectives specific to the cultural significance of that valley or land.
According to founder Ed Lindsey, there is enough work to be done for five lifetimes! Maui Cultural Lands is a small organization operating on the basis of volunteerism. MCL needs your help to stabilize and protect the important cultural information that is contained within the ruins of Honokawai Valley and each of their project sites! Feel the ocean breeze, mana, or life energy of the land, and the presence of those that came before us as you work to protect and restore the land.
This January, Skyline Eco-adventures is proud to support Maui Cultural Lands’ efforts and their work at preserving Hawaiian cultural resources. If you would like to further support Maui Cultural Lands, you can do so when you book a zipline tour with us at skylinehawaii.com/maui for our Maui courses, you can also donate directly to the Maui Cultural Lands efforts on Maui here.
To learn more about Maui Cultural Lands and the ways that you can get involved, check out their website at https://mauiculturallands.org/participate.