Sacred Hawaiian tree is under threat as tourists are asked to help save it

A deadly fungus threatens one of Hawaii’s most beloved and important species and those believed responsible for introducing the threat to the tree in the first place are now being asked to help save it.

Manakō Tanaka, a Hawaiian culture expert at the Oahu Visitors Bureau, said the ʻōhiʻalehua tree and its blossoms have always been"the first to sprout up after lava flows that wipe forests out.”

“It would be heartbreaking to only be able to show pictures of the tree and its flowers to future generations,” Tanaka said. “Losing the ʻōhiʻa lehua would be like losing a reference encyclopedia into the past.” The federal government has attempted to stop the fungus and tackle invasive species by imposing a quarantine on Hawaii Island and carrying out extensive tests to learn how the fungus spreads, but it has yet to find a solution. Hawaiian organizations, communities and scientists are now stepping in.

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