Category Archives: Nature

The myth. The legend. Wailupe

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Sebastian Marquez

How can I properly frame this? On O’ahu, few places have intrigued me as much as Wailupe. A lot of it has to do with its historical association with the scientific inquiry of Hawaiian biota. Some of it is because … Continue reading →

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Kuli’ou’ou plants

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Sebastian Marquez

We went on a hike to check out the plant life of Kuli’ou’ou Valley. It was impressive to see the diversity still left in such a commonly hiked area.

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Getting to know your Hawaiian Lobeliads #30: Clermontia lindseyana

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Sebastian Marquez

Clermontia lindseyana Hawaiian Name: ‘Oha wai Conservation Status: Endangered Distribution: East Maui, Hawai’i (Windward Mauna Kea, Ka’u, South Kona) Date photographed: 8/23/2013 Ease of viewing: Outplanted *Identification: Form– Terrestrial shrubs or trees 2.5-6 m tall. Leaves– oblanceolate or elliptic; blades 13-24 cm long, 3.8-6.5 … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: Cyanea’s African Relatives

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Sebastian Marquez

Africa. Where the Pleistocene Megafauna still lives. While it’s easy to focus on all the large animals, Africa holds a specific interest for the Hawaiian plant nerd in me. For research (Givnish, 2008) shows that some of the Hawaiian Lobeliads … Continue reading →

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Flowers of Ka’upulehu

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Sebastian Marquez

I was finally able to visit the Ka’upulehu dryland forest near Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. After spending some quality time in that lava-strewn forest, I cannot say enough about that place. It was some of the most amazing, hopeful … Continue reading →

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Getting to know your Hawaiian Lobeliads #29: Cyanea grimesiana

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Sebastian Marquez

Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana Hawaiian Name: Kuenui? Conservation Status: Endangered Distribution: O’ahu (Mt. Ka’ala, Ko’olau mountains), Moloka’i Date photographed: 2/26/2014 Ease of viewing: outplanted *Identification: Form– Sparingly branched or unbranched shrubs 1-3.2 m tall, muricate. Leaves– pinnately divided, blades 2758 cm … Continue reading →

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Snaphot: Hawaiian Avifauna

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Sebastian Marquez

The work by Dr. Helen James and Dr. Storrs Olson has greatly enriched our knowledge of the birds of Hawai’i. I’ve read as many of their *papers as I can. I was surprised to see this awesome mural when I … Continue reading →

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Getting to know your Hawaiian Lobeliads #28: Clermontia pyrularia

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Sebastian Marquez

Clermontia pyrularia Hawaiian Name: ‘Oha wai Conservation Status: Endangered Distribution: Hawai’i (Windward Mauna Kea; Leeward Mauna Loa) Date photographed: 8/24/2013 Ease of viewing: Cultivation *Identification: Form– Terrestrial trees 3-4 m tall. Leaves– narrowly elliptic rarely oblanceolate; blades 15-28 cm long by 2.5-5 … Continue reading →

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An Afternoon at the National Zoo

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Sebastian Marquez

Back in September, I took a trip to see the National Zoo in Washington D.C. It was my first time there, so I was quite excited to see their collection. Naturally coming from O’ahu, I wanted to compare it to … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: O’ahu ‘Elepaio

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Sebastian Marquez

I had mentioned earlier this year how one of my favorite sights on O’ahu trails was seeing O’ahu ‘Elepaio (Chasiempis ibidis) on Wiliwilinui Ridge trail. Well today, I hiked the Wiliwilinui Ridge trail again, and wouldn’t you know it, another … Continue reading →

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