Clients & Coalitions

Sierra Club Hawai'I Chapter

The Hawai'i Ecoregion is a Pacific archipelago comprising eight main islands and dozens of tiny atolls, shoals, and islets. Known worldwide as an island paradise, the region attracts throngs of tourists who are drawn by its warm ocean waters, and sandy beaches. But this familiar image is only one aspect of a biologically rich -- and increasingly endangered -- landscape.

The Hawai`i Ecoregion supports a staggering variety of natural communities. Tropical rain forests carpeted with mosses and ferns echo with the trills and calls of elusive Hawaiian forest birds. Miles of rich coral reefs teem with tropical fish, dolphins, and turtles. Island shorelines vary dramatically, ranging from white sand beaches to tumbled lava cliffs and caves. Active, erupting volcanoes intermittently spew hot red lava into the sea. The silversword blooms in Maui's alpine desert, while skiers ply the lofty slopes of the Big Island.

Yet Hawai`i is threatened by a tremendous loss of biological diversity, increasing air and water pollution, and overdevelopment. That's why the Sierra Club is fighting to restore and protect this vital region for the next century and beyond -- through the Critical Ecoregions Program.