Lulani Lane

Lulani Lane 📚Educate • Perpetuate • Propagate
😊Look kiuke doing it
🤙🏽Native Hawaiian owned
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09/05/2026

During my recent trip to ʻEnelani (England) I visited the British Museum and to my surprise found pieces of home!

From an ʻawa bowl made from kou wood, pearl shell, and boar tusks, to some poi pounders, ʻulu maika stones, and a massive kiʻi of Kū… it was surreal seeing pieces of Hawaiian history and culture so far from home.

But it also left me thinking about how much of Hawaiʻi’s material culture is now held far from Hawaiʻi in museums, private collections, or places where access can be limited to kānaka ʻōiwi. 😔

I’m grateful that these pieces have been preserved and that people around the world can learn from them and be exposed to a little bit of Hawaiʻi at the British Museum (which is free to visit btw 😊).

Stay tuned more London x Hawaiʻi London videos to come 👀👑🇬🇧

Also be prepared & stay safe this weekend 🙏🌀🌧️

08/28/2026

This beautiful orange flower might be one of Hawaiʻi’s most underrated lei flowers, but kou has a fascinating history that goes far beyond its flowers.
🌊Traditionally considered a canoe plant, kou was believed to have been brought to Hawaiʻi by early Polynesian voyagers. But ancient kou seeds discovered on Kauaʻi dating back about 5,000 years suggest that kou may actually be native to Hawaiʻi.
🥣Native Hawaiians also valued kou for its versatile wood, which was used to make ʻumeke, cups, and other tools, while its leaves could be used to dye kapa and fishing lines. And, of course, its vibrant orange pua have long been used to make lei. 🌺
🐛Today, kou also faces threats from the kou leafworm, whose caterpillars feed on the tree’s leaves. So… did you know about kou? SOURCES: * Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) — Kou DLNR: Kou
* Bishop Museum — Plants of Hawaiʻi Database — Cordia subcordata (Kou) Plants of Hawaiʻi: Kou
* University of Hawaiʻi CTAHR — Forestry & Agroforestry — Cordia subcordata UH CTAHR: Cordia subcordata
* Agroforestry.org — Cordia (Kou) Agroforestry.org: Cordia (Kou)
* Chaminade University — Campus Plants — Kou Chaminade University: Kou
* Ka Wai Ola — The Faces Will Meet in Kou: Cordia subcordata Ka Wai Ola: Kou
* University of Hawaiʻi — Mālamalama — A Kauaʻi Cave Reveals the Island’s Ecological Past UH Mālamalama: Kauaʻi Cave

Witness any acts of aloha during 🌀Lala??? During times of disaster, things can feel really heavy. But sometimes, it’s th...
08/21/2026

Witness any acts of aloha during 🌀Lala??? During times of disaster, things can feel really heavy. But sometimes, it’s the little acts of kindness that become the silver linings…reminders that aloha is still very much alive.
I want to hear your stories of aloha.
Did someone show up for you during Hurricane Lala or the Kona lows? Did you help someone else? Did you witness a stranger, neighbor, friend, or organization doing something that reminded you of the good in people?
Please share your story in the comments! ✍️And if there’s a company, organization, fundraiser, or resource that you found especially helpful, please share that too so others can find it too! Big mahalo to that man delivering ice, and to all the people quietly showing up for their neighbors, lending a hand, and taking care of their community when it matters most, expecting nothing in return. 🤍And if you’re wondering how you can help from afar, donating is another way to show aloha. I went through Hawai’i Mutual Aid Network | Help Maui Rise GoFundMe, but there are so many other fundraisers and community efforts out there, too.
Stay safe, everyone. Please take care of yourselves, your ʻohana, and each other. E mālama pono!🤙🏽

08/14/2026

Why is mountain apple called ʻōhiʻa ʻai? 🍎🌺
If you’ve ever seen the flowers of an ʻōhiʻa ʻai tree, you might notice they look a lot like our native ʻōhiʻa lehua. But the name actually tells us something about the fruit: ʻai means “to eat,” so ʻōhiʻa ʻai can be understood as “ʻōhiʻa that is eaten.”
ʻŌhiʻa ʻai, also known as Hawaiian mountain apple, is considered a canoe plant believed to have been brought to Hawaiʻi by early Polynesian voyagers.
The fruit is crisp, juicy, and refreshing, with a flavor that some describe as floral or slightly apple-like. 🍎
I love learning how Hawaiian names can reveal connections between plants, language, food, and the people who have cared for them.
Have you eaten an ʻōhiʻa ʻai before? 👀

08/05/2026

Things that should be covered before anyone is allowed off the plane into Hawaiʻi. 😅🌺
Traveling with aloha means respecting the people, culture, wildlife, and ʻāina that make these islands so special. 💙Kamaʻāina what did I miss?

Kids books and coloring books for kānaka ʻōiwi, kamaʻāina, and malihini alike, linked in bio!

07/25/2026

The māmane tree isn’t just a native Hawaiian tree, it’s the reason one of Hawaiʻi’s rarest birds, the palila, is still alive. 🌿🐦
Found high on Mauna Kea, the endemic māmane provides nearly everything the critically endangered palila needs to survive, from seeds and flowers to shelter. Their relationship is one of Hawaiʻi’s most incredible examples of native plants and animals evolving together.

Sources & References
• Hawaiʻi DLNR – Division of Forestry & Wildlife
• Restore Maunakea (Hawaiʻi DLNR)
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Kawai Ola News
• Wild Hawaiʻi Foundation
• Abbott, Isabella Aiona. Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants.
Images: USGS • Bishop Museum • Hawaiʻi DLNR • Hawaiʻi State Government

07/18/2026

Did you know the ulua was once used as a metaphor for a warrior, a handsome man, and even a sweetheart in old Hawaiʻi? 🌊

The ulua (giant trevally) is more than one of Hawaiʻi’s most prized game fish. It has deep roots in Hawaiian language and culture, appearing in ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverbs) and mele(songs) as a symbol of strength, courage, and admiration.

From its different growth stages, pāpio, pāʻūʻū, and ulua, to its important role as a top reef predator, the ulua reminds us that many of Hawaiʻi’s native plants and animals carry stories that go far beyond their biology.

Teach your keiki about the ulua and other fish in our Fishes of Hawaiʻi Coloring & Activity Book, link in bio!

Sources
NOAA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Maui Ocean Center
Poseidon Fisheries Research
Hawaiʻi DLNR – Division of Aquatic Resources
Hawaiian Fishing News
Maui Magazine
Wehewehe Hawaiian Dictionary (Pukui & Elbert)

07/11/2026

We all know Mary Kawena Pukui, but have you ever wondered who created the iconic illustrations in the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau Book?📕

Dietrich Varez dedicated his life to illustrating Hawaiian stories, legends, and traditions in a way that was accessible to everyone, not just art collectors. His prints have become some of the most recognizable images of Hawaiʻi.

He said…“Hawaiʻi is my salvation, and I’m trying to pay it back for all it’s given me and still is giving yet.”

Have a favorite Dietrich Varez illustration?

07/04/2026

The papaya you see in most Hawaiʻi grocery stores today has an interesting history.
In the 1990s, papaya ringspot virus devastated Hawaiʻi’s papaya industry, threatening the state’s largest papaya-growing region in Puna. Scientists, led by Native Hawaiian plant pathologist Dr. Dennis Gonsalves, developed the virus-resistant Rainbow papaya, helping save Hawaiʻi’s commercial papaya industry.
Today, Rainbow is still the most common papaya grown in Hawaiʻi, and the story behind it is one of the most fascinating in Hawaiʻi agriculture.
I’m always learning, so if you have additional ʻike, resources, or manaʻo to share, I’d love to hear them in the comments.
🌺 Papaya is also featured in our Colors of Hawaiʻi Coloring & Activity Book, created to help keiki learn about the plants, animals, and places that make Hawaiʻi so special.

07/04/2026

One of my favorite parts about creating our Hawaiʻi educational books is how much I end up learning too.

While doing research for our Colors of Hawaiʻi Coloring & Activity Book, I started learning more about papaya... and had no idea the papaya we know in Hawaiʻi today had such a fascinating history.

What started as a simple page in a coloring book turned into a deep dive into papaya ringspot virus, Rainbow papaya, local farmers, and the scientists who helped save Hawaiʻi’s papaya industry.

I’m definitely not an expert, just someone who loves learning more about the things we see every day in Hawaiʻi and sharing what I discover along the way with you and your ʻohana.

If I missed anything or you have additional manaʻo to add, I’d genuinely love to hear it. 📚Coloring book link in bio!

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