Hawaii Reforestation

Cartography · Storytelling

We often think of Hawai’i as a tropical paradise. Yet its magnificent collection of plants of animals—90% of which are endemic to Hawai’i—is precarious. Over 40% of plants on the the United States’ Threatened and Endangered Species list are endemic to Hawai’i. How do we tell this story? For our keystone map, I wanted to transport the viewer to the islands. As a former mariner, I’ve made the approach to Hawai’i under sail, and the image of the islands rising up from the sea on the horizon is unforgettable. Working in 3D also brought Mauna Kea to life, the second largest of five volcanoes on the island of Hawai’i. I hope these maps highlight the beauty of the language and breathe life into the plants and birds. And these maps are rich in data—I combed the full statewide GIS portal and found really unique data to work with, including a high-resolution land cover that could be used to visualize invasive plant incursion, and great details like the lava flows and ocean bathymetry.