UNESCO’s latest addition to the UN’s World Heritage Sites list is one of the nation’s most precious treasures. Making it on the list means the World Heritage Committee considers the site to be an outstanding value to humanity and emphasizes the need to maintain and protect the area.
Hawaii’s Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is home to 69 percent of the country’s coral reefs and 7,000 marine species. It is the largest conservation area in the US –– 100 times the size of Yosemite National Park!
On a portion of the monument called Mokumanamana, also known as Necker Island, lies an impressive concentration of ancient heiau (shrines), wahi pana (religious sites) and mea makamae (cultural objects).
The combination of marine ecology and historical and spiritual significance is why it is one of only 26 sites worldwide to be added for both natural and cultural reasons. It is also the first site to be added from the US in 15 years.
Haunani Apoliona, Chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees said in a statement on the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument website, “This inscription, a first natural and cultural inscription for Hawaii, and a first inscription in 15 years for the United States, elevates Hawaii in the eyes of the world and underscores our responsibility to protect our culturally, naturally and spiritually significant places for future generations, as our ancestors would want.”
Photo by SeaPics via the Papahanaumokuakea website.