In this Friday, March 11, 2016 photo, members of Halau Hiiakainamakalehua practice in Honolulu for the upcoming Merrie Monarch Festival, which is the world’s most prestigious hula competition. The group is among the competitors heeding calls to avoid using ohia blossoms at this year’s competition because of a fungus that’s killing the lan ho diep trang trees that grow them. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)
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HONOLULU (AP) – In years past, hula students would make pilgrimages into ohia lan ho diep gia re forests on Hawaii’s Big Island to gather blossoms and leaves from the trees to adorn dancers’ lei, hair, hands and feet for the world’s most prestigious hula competition.
They would also pay respects to Laka, the goddess of hula, and seek inspiration.
But at this year’s upcoming Merrie Monarch Festival, the red lan phong lan ho diep and yellow blossoms that normally adorn dancers will be missing.
That’s because many competitors are heeding calls to avoid the flowers so they don’t spread a fungus that’s killing the tress that grow them. Should you adored this short article and you want to receive more info concerning lan ho diep vang generously visit the internet site. Scientists are worried what’s known as rapid ohia death will wipe out the backbone of Hawaii’s native forests and watersheds – the islands’ source of fresh water.
“It doesn’t grow anywhere else in world,” said Sam Ohu Gon III, senior scientist and cultural adviser for the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. “If it goes extinct here, that’s it globally. It’s gone.”
