Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park has just grown thanks to grantee Trust for Public Land. Working in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), @trustforpublicland purchased 16,456 acres, including 5.5 miles of shoreline, at Pōhue Bay on Hawai’i Island. The land has now been transferred to NPS and will be permanently protected as a part of the national park system, where it is known as the “Kahuku-Pōhue parcel” in reference to the Hawaiian place name, Kahuku. The Kahuku-Pōhue parcel is home to many significant Hawaiian cultural sites, including ancient lava tube burials, mauka-makai trails, fishing shrines, and petroglyphs. The coastline is also critical habitat for federally listed endangered Hawaiian species, including the Hawaiian hawksbill turtle (honu‘ea) and Hawaiian monk seal. Rare endemic ʻōpaeʻula (red shrimp) live in the area’s anchialine ponds, and the bay is often frequented by native and migratory birds, including ʻiwa (frigate bird), koaʻe kea (white tailed tropic bird), kōlea (golden plover), ʻūlili (wandering tattler) and ʻaukuʻu (black crowned night heron). The protection of this land is a huge win for the Native Hawaiian community, as the future of the Kahuku-Pōhue parcel is now guaranteed. The newly protected area will ensure that the delicate cultural sites that abound are safeguarded with respect while also providing a safe haven for wildlife to flourish. Want to learn more about recent conservation successes? Head over to the link in our bio. #wekeepitwild 📸: Lea Hong