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Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden considers limiting visitors and charging fees

Hoʻomaluhia has seen a spike in visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cassie Ordonio
/
HPR
Hoʻomaluhia has seen a spike in visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nestled beneath the Koʻolau mountain range on Oʻahu, Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden was a once-hidden gem. But social media has heightened awareness about the garden’s natural wonders.

Dozens of signs that read “no photos” and “no parking” throughout the park. However, that doesn’t stop visitors from taking selfies in the middle of the road and using the signs as a tripod, despite park workers constantly reminding them not to.

Recreation specialist Alma Phocas said it is challenging for the staff to monitor the thousands of visitors in a 400-acre park.

“We have a very narrow road and we do not have a pedestrian walkway that can accommodate them,” Phocas said. “So it’s unsafe for everybody. It doesn’t make sense. There are a lot of places in the garden where they can take better photos without putting themselves in harm’s way.”

Two people take a photo in the road at Hoʻomaluhia. The park has a strict policy against standing on the main road and staff have said they've warned visitors.
Cassie Ordonio
/
HPR
Two people take a photo in the road at Hoʻomaluhia. The park has a strict policy against standing on the main road and staff have said they've warned visitors.

The influx of visitors has prompted the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation to consider implementing an admission fee and a reservation system.

Joshlyn Sand, director of Honolulu’s botanical gardens, said that the department is still working out the details on how to implement such a system, adding that there would need to be a proposed bill before the Honolulu City Council.

In 2016, the parks department recorded 218,299 annual visitors. That number skyrocketed to 570,702 last year.

“We noticed the boom around the pandemic,” Sand said. “It’s known now. It’s a destination now. These levels are probably going to be permanent, and we know they’re not sustainable.”

Sand also said reservation systems at county and state parks in Hawaiʻi and the mainland have become normalized after an uptick in visitors.

Hoʻomaluhia is one of five county botanical gardens on Oʻahu. None of them require a reservation, except for Foster Botanical Garden. Foster is currently closed due to construction, but normally charges an admission fee for both residents and nonresidents.

State parks like Haʻena on Kauaʻi and Diamond Head on Oʻahu have reservation systems in place. Additionally, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve charges a $25 fee for nonresidents.

Sand said that the department is looking at the impact on the surrounding neighborhood if they limit the number of visitors and charge fees within Hoʻomaluhia.

Historic grounds

Joshlyn Sand is the director of the Honolulu botanical gardens
Cassie Ordonio
/
HPR
Joshlyn Sand is the director of the Honolulu botanical gardens

The Kāne'ohe garden is 40 years old. It opened in 1982 and was originally as a flood control project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation.

The garden has about 4,000 species of plants, many being native to Hawaiʻi. The park allows hiking, camping and biking.

The garden also has a visitors center that helps guide people throughout the garden while educating them on native species.

Sand said the department is also looking at creating sidewalks and a mandatory educational video.

A 2022 survey found that most first-time visitors would make a reservation and pay an admission fee to the garden, while fewer people wouldn’t.

Mixed reactions

Hoʻomaluhia is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents like Diane Nushida-Tokuno said there have been long lines of cars waiting outside the garden before it opens.

“It’s been kind of crazy in the neighborhood. There’s lines of cars waiting to get in mostly on weekends,” she said. “We have seen people parking and blocking part of our driveway and in front of our mailboxes.”

Nushida-Tokuno lives a few houses down from the main entrance of the garden and said she supports a reservation system and fee admission.

Visitors have been ignoring signs that warn them to not take pictures in the middle of the road.
Cassie Ordonio
/
HPR
Visitors have been ignoring signs that warn them to not take pictures in the middle of the road.

But Kailua resident Debi Schering disagrees.

“It’s going to bring us into more of the have and have-nots,” she said. “Now a mom wants to come with her kids. What’s it going to be? Five bucks to park your car? I don’t like it for tourists, or especially for locals. This is open land just for people to come in and enjoy it.”

Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board Chair Mo Radke said that “those laws and bills and policies are only as good as the enforcement that accompanies them.”

“(Paying visitors) might be in line to feel like they have full use because they’ve paid for something. If there's a sign in the first place, then I’m not sure what a fee is going to do to alleviate that unless the fee is going to be used to put more people for enforcement," Radke said.

Cassie Ordonio is the culture and arts reporter for Hawaiʻi Public Radio. She previously worked for Honolulu Civil Beat, covering local government, education, homelessness and affordable housing. Contact her at cordonio@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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