Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Mixed Plate

Media Credit: Nalea K. Jo At the Lyon Arboretum, this back area of the park is where children's classes are held.

Media Credit: Nalea K. Jo Hapu‘u ferns are native to these islands, and grow plentifully in wet environments.

This holiday season, visitors will not be able to purchase the traditional herbal wreaths at the Lyon Arboretum, but they can help remove invasive plants while workers focus on refurbishing the visitor center.

Scottish-born Christopher Dunn has a hefty to-do list since moving to Hawai‘i and starting as director in May. Dunn said that visitors do not seem to mind the construction.

"It doesn't seem to make any difference. ... They're still coming up," he said.

However, tourists say that the fluorescent orange tape that marks the construction areas detracts from the beauty of the arboretum.

"You can see already this is a beautiful area, and it is starting to get neglected," Texas-resident Hardy North said.

"I would think as a visitor, it's something you would want to take care of and spend money on," Tennessee-resident David North said. If only there was money to spend.

The historical visitor center at the Lyon Arboretum was initially built during the sugar plantation era about a 100 years ago. Dunn explained that the arboretum has received $3 million to get the project going, but $3 million to $4 million is still needed.

Dried wreaths hang in the gift shop and empty shelves remind visitors that the building is under construction. The gift shop and main office have been closed for five months for renovation, Dunn said, and the Lyon Arboretum is open to the public only on weekdays.

"It really needs to be open more because there is so much to do and see here," Dunn said. "We are just limiting our possibilities by staying closed on weekends."

"I think there are a lot of changes coming in the next few years, but it's going to be slow," said Ken Seamon, resident manager and University of Hawai‘i alumnus.

Across the surrounding garden draped with vibrant reds, purples and yellows, a cobblestone pathway leads to an area where visitors may not notice that a vine with delicate purple flowers is actually suffocating other plants.

Although the staff acknowledges the potential threat, the one invasive vine is a small problem when one considers the vast area of the arboretum as a whole.

"Of the (invasive) plants that are really an issue, they probably represent a fairly small percentage," Dunn said. "Still, the impact of those is enormous."

For about 193.5 acres of land, there are only a handful of full-time gardeners - not enough to keep the arboretum in visitor-friendly condition.

"We don't have enough gardeners; we are way behind in our gardening," Seamon said.

"Typically you have one gardener or horticulturist for every five acres," Dunn said. "We should have at least 30 by that measure." But the arboretum has only four full-time gardeners.

Now, because of safety renovations, the usually profitable adult craft classes and events have also been suspended. However, children's educational classes continue, and the children do not seem to mind the construction barriers or invasive vines.

As children dart around the arboretum, excitedly participating in a plant scavenger hunt, UH graduate student Richard Sears, an education specialist at the arboretum who works with elementary school students, comments on the gardens.

"It's just a beautiful place to be. ... We're a part of the university and it's kind of a hidden treasure," he said.

Dunn recognizes the importance of cultivating a relationship with the children, because the future of the arboretum may one day depend on children's early appreciation for botany.

"We are trying to keep together as many of the (educational classes) for kids and school kids in particular," Dunn said. "If we lose those connections, even if it's temporary, sometimes it can be hard to get those back."

Despite the orange tape, the Lyon Arboretum is still beautiful. The Vriesea imperialis, the Clerodendron nutans and the naupaka kuahiwi are frightening to pronounce, but they are sparkling jewels. But to protect these gems for future generations, more funds and workers are needed.

Attractions and volunteering opportunities at the Lyon Arboretum:

• Arboretum tour guide


• Children's garden hui


• Class monitor


• Ethnobotany gardener


• Plant sales


• Trail crew


• Trail "sweepers"


• Web site maintenance


• Wiliwili seed project


• Jams and jellies


For more information, contact Jill Laughlin at (808) 988-0461 or jlaughli@hawaii.edu.

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