Preserving the Past, Moulding the Future

For the past two years, Jim and his son Jim Jr. and their crew have been working to bring to life the Shoreline Park and Public Access Trail along the South Kona Coast adjacent to the Hokulia development. The park and trail will run the full length of the project, meandering through the lava fields along the cliffs. The pathway is endowed with numerous historic and culturally significant sites to view and reflect upon, as well as expansive views of the blue Pacific splashing ceaselessly along the shoreline and the green slopes of the South Kona uplands. Many of these sites have been overgrown and hidden by invasive plant species. Removing the invasives and nurturing the native plants has opened up the sites to the light of day once again. On the southern end, the Public Access Trail will join with the ancient 15th-century Ala Loa trail and continue southward.

Twenty years ago, Jim stood up and stood his ground to stop the destruction of that same trail in the same place. Read more about Jim’s story in Kealohapauole, A Love That Never Ends.