WAIKAPU, Maui — The builder of the Flyin Hawaiian Zipline is planting the seeds of sustainable tourism with Maui's newest extreme eco-adventure. The zipline, on the slopes of the privately owned Waikapu Preserve in the West Maui Mountains, is on land not previously open to the public. Maui native Duane Ting, president and CEO of the Flyin Hawaiian Zipline, said he developed the attraction "on the idea of conservation."

"Big tracts of open land no longer exist on Maui, and I wanted to find a way to protect the land with the lightest footprint possible," said Ting, 30, who is part Hawaiian. "Tours don't have to be a negative thing."

Unlike other ziplines on Maui that zig-zag down a single gulch, the Flyin Hawaiian sails over 11 ridges and nine valleys spanning a distance of more than 2 miles. The eight zipline segments range from a 200-foot-long "warm-up" to a 3,200-foot-long monster stretch. Along the way, riders are treated to sweeping views of majestic Haleakala volcano, the Central Maui isthmus, the South Maui shoreline and the verdant West Maui Mountains.

"It's huge. It crosses nine valleys and the scenery is different for each one," Ting said. "There's one stretch where you reach up to 60 miles per hour."

Along with the thrill of a lifetime, the Flyin Hawaiian Zipline tour provides adventure seekers with an up-close encounter with Maui's natural wonders, including the rare native hibiscus plant, ma'o hau hele, which is known to exist in only seven wild populations in Hawai'i with a total of less than 60 plants. The endangered plant's delicate yellow blossom is the official state flower of Hawai'i. Kaunohua Gulch in the 482-acre Waikapu Preserve is one of only three spots on Maui where the ma'o hau hele blooms.

Ting obtained a permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to collect seeds from the rare plant and propagate seedlings for visitors on the tour to plant in the preserve, along with other native species, before embarking on their zipline adventure.

Ting's deep sense of environmentalism was evident during the planning and building of the Flyin Hawaiian Zipline. Instead of employing heavy equipment that would've ripped up the landscape, he hired a helicopter at great expense to airlift work crews and materials to build the zipline take-off platforms. Ting also harvested non-native ironwood from the preserve to construct some of the structures, rather than importing lumber.

Other eco-friendly measures include composting toilets and a photovoltaic array to provide electricity for Flyin Hawaiian operations. Visitors on the tour also will get a souvenir reusable aluminum water bottle.

To minimize the human presence in the preserve, Ting said he is limiting his tours to four a day, with a maximum of 12 people per tour. "What makes this different is that it's based on conservation first, then tourism," he said.