Hikers and nature enthusiasts, it's time to lace up your boots and hit the trails once more because the Moanalua Section of the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve is back in business. Closed since June due to nearby construction kicking up a storm of safety concerns – the dismantling of the notorious Ha‘ikū Stairs, to be precise – the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has finally greenlit the reserve's reopening as of August 30.
Despite the litigation limbo that has paused construction, DLNR's Division of Forestry and Wildlife and O‘ahu Branch Manager Marigold Zoll are all about moving forward, though with a caveat to the footloose and fancy-free; they're strongly advising hikers to give Middle Ridge a wide berth, the heavily trafficked trail is crying out from the wear and tear of overuse and erosion that was, funnily enough, eating away at the integrity of the surrounding native forest faster than you can say ecosystem collapse.
This is not just talk; there’s elbow grease behind it. Recently, a hearty bunch of volunteers rolled up their sleeves and took a stab at mitigating some of the drainage issues choking the life out of Middle Ridge. Their goal? To stand as human bulwarks against the onslaught of erosion and safeguard the native forest that Hawaii holds dear.
