Of all the Island New Year's traditions, one of the quietest is the unveiling of the new DLNR calendar. A soft-spoken press release goes out describing the year's carefully considered theme and folks in the know go scrambling to get a copy of the most coveted calendars.

They're coveted because they're collectable and educational and put together with purpose and insight. When the year is over, people hate to take down the old DLNR calendar. It's only the promise of experiencing a brand new one that eases the transition. Even so, the expired one isn't often thrown away.

Since 1984, the Department of Land and Natural Resources State Historic Preservation Division has been printing the calendars. Each year the theme varies to reflect one of the division's three areas of focus: history and culture, archaeology and architecture. One year it was ancient petroglyphs, another year, plantation cottages.

Past calendars are kept in state libraries and summaries are archived online at www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/hpd. Some are still available for purchase. And yes, people purchase the outdated calendars. They're beautiful.

For 2009, the theme is "Plants and Places: the Flora of Hawaii." Maybe it doesn't sound like a blockbuster, but the photos by David Franzen and accompanying text by Kaleo Wong are packed with "oh nah!" moments. Every month features a plant associated with a particular place in Hawai'i.

For example, February's photo shows the dramatic blossoms of the Ko'oloa'ula, a native plant that was believed to be extinct on O'ahu until it was rediscovered in Kapolei in 1996. (See? Oh nah!)

Or the Pahapaha seaweed that was gathered from Polihale on Kaua'i to make lei.

A dramatic photo shows a loulu forest that survived on a tiny island off Moloka'i because the plants there were safe from the animals that decimated the loulu on the main islands.

The calendars were the brainchild of retired State Historic Preservation Division director Dr. Don Hibbard, who wanted people to be reminded of Hawai'i's historic places that continue amid our modern world. He still works on the project, which is funded in part by discrete ads that appear on the pages.

You've got to love a calendar that notes events such as "Beginning of O-bon season," "Midsummer's Eve," "Shrove Tuesday/Malassada Day" and "Jack Hall Day." And to top it all off, it's a tide calendar.

Calendars are sold at the Hawai'i Heritage Center gallery at 1040 Smith St. in Chinatown. The phone number is 521-2749. Calendars are $10 each for the first 10 purchased, with a discount for bigger orders.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.