Ocean access at Waipio plays a crucial role in the health of our island community–it is a place for families to regenerate and maintain their spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.
Patrick OʻLeary
Waipi’o for my ohana is a place to connect with the ocean, the land, and our sense of place. It provides us a way to exercise, reset, and teach our son about currents, tides, habitats, and history. I guess we all didn’t realize just how important it was for our mental and physical well-being until this closure. We had always assumed that our rights to access the coast were not something that could just be taken away overnight.
Travis Clark
Waipio Valley is important to me because it’s part of my childhood and it’s also a part of my keiki’s childhood as well. I spent all my life down in Waipio. From the back of Waipio in my godmother’s lo’i, picking ho’io with uncle Roy and aunty Donna, to doing horseback with my cousin Onz, camping on the beach with family and friends, the list goes on and on.
So why is Waipio important you ask?
It’s a way of doing things it’s a lifestyle it’s a place of peace that serves a greater purpose that some will never understand and that’s why we are where we are now.