Arboretum to reopen Jan. 2

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

Lyon Arboretum staff, scientists and the public reacted with elation yesterday to the news that the 194-acre arboretum and wilderness area in the back of Manoa Valley would open again to the public on Jan. 2.

The University of Hawai'i closed the Lyon Arboretum in August, and only volunteers were allowed to return a couple of months later. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

"To have it open to the volunteers is one thing, but to have it open to the public, that's major," said Sugii.

The arboretum closed Aug. 27, with University of Hawai'i officials citing safety concerns. The action culminated a university investigation prompted by staff complaints, and in the midst of the controversy, the arboretum's director, Alan Teramura, resigned.

The closure sparked fears that Sugii's laboratory and Alvin Yoshinaga's seed conservation laboratory — critical components in the effort to save rare and endangered plants — might have to be moved. In the end, that proved to be unnecessary. Both will remain at the arboretum.

The arboretum is a linchpin in Hawai'i's conservation efforts, a unique forest experience for thousands of schoolchildren and an escape from harried city life for thousands of others every year. It's a training laboratory for college students, an opportunity for grade-schoolers to learn indigenous gardening, and an enclave of native vegetation found nowhere else.

It reopened to volunteers around the end of October when about 2,000 tiny plants nurtured in Sugii's lab were deteriorating and she needed help in moving them to new sterile test-tubes. The arboretum depends on as many as 400 volunteers, many of whom help maintain plant collections and portions of the grounds.

Yesterday, Sugii, arborist Leon Marcus and research associate Ray Baker questioned whether the arboretum really needed to be closed for four months — if at all — to complete the repairs.

Sugii, too, said she believes the university "overreacted."

"I know there were a lot of legal issues they had to deal with," said Sugii. "I think the UH counsel got pretty much scared with all these violations, and they were more than usually cautious."

Baker said the closure has put the staff more and more behind in its work.

Manoa spokesman Jim Manke said that the university closed the facility on the advice of legal counsel, who raised liability concerns.

"We're pretty pleased it's only been four months," said Manke.

Despite the scheduled reopening after the holidays, the facility is not yet ready to accommodate school field trips, said Manke. There are still some safety issues in areas where groups go. When the arboretum closed, Jill Laughlin, coordinator of adult and children's education, had to cancel 22 field trips she had booked for the fall. About 4,000 school students had visited the forested area every year.

Noelani Elementary school teacher Janice Nishiki, who has utilized the arboretum extensively for school trips, was also delighted to hear of the plans to reopen, even though field trips won't be available yet.

"We'll wait patiently because we hope it will be right around the corner," she said.

"If the youngsters of Hawai'i aren't exposed firsthand to all these wonders of nature, and unless you can inspire them, who is going to care what happens to an area like this?" she said.

Manoa chancellor Peter Englert said the appropriate changes have been made to assure safe public access to the arboretum.

"We will now be able to make the gardens, trails and special plant collections available to those who appreciate the park for the significant natural resource that it is," said Englert.

Five of the eight cottages have been closed for repair, and a state permit is being sought to run a commercial operation in a conservation district in order to reopen the visitor center. A request for $3 million to make permanent repairs to the five closed cottages and other areas of the grounds is part of the UH budget going to the Legislature.

Last week the university was fined $10,000 by the Board of Land and Natural Resources for building violations because it had no permits for changes and renovations made over the years.

The list of safety changes — costing thousands of dollars — completed by the university with help from staff, private and public companies and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, included pruning and cutting some large trees that were about to fall, closing unsound buildings and changing the surfaces of walkways and other areas to minimize the risk of people falling.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.