Another photo update from Kaleo Wong on the second of two consecutive days of lo‘i maintenance and reclamation with crews from Kupu. The 2011 ULUPŌ HEIAU Cultural Resources Management & Landscape Plan identifies three lo‘i complexes on the Kawainui side of Ulupō and notes that, "From the late 1980s, the Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club had a goal to restore the cultural landscape of Ulupō Heiau with an emphasis on the planting of native Hawaiian and Polynesian introduced species." That goal, now shared with ‘Ahahui Mālama i ka Lōkahi and supported by Hika‘alani, remains unchanged; its bottom line is simple enough: feed our people with traditional foods grown in our own water and soil. -- Kihei de Silva

More photos from Kaleo Wong and Kupu: clean-up efforts on the subdivision-facing side of the heiau. The 2011 ULUPŌ HEIAU Cultural Resources Management & Landscape Plan offers the following overview of the menehune-constructed heiau:

"Ulupō Heiau is believed to be an ancient agricultural temple (māpele), although the function and size of the heiau may have changed over time. The heiau structure consists of a massive, raised platform constructed of dry-stacked basalt rocks with underlying springs that feed the surrounding agricultural terraces (Helela, pers comm). The heiau platform measures 140 by 180 feet (1.42 acres) with walls built up to 30 feet in height in the downslope side. There is evidence of former terraces on the northwest and northeast walls of the platform, but collapse of these terraces has resulted in the sloping rock walls seen today.

B. Jean Martin, the archaeologist who wrote the Register Nomination for Ulupō Heiau describes Ulupō Heiau‟s earlier importance and size by the large terrace 140 feet in width and 30 feet high. The stones average about 1.5 feet in size. The sides of the terrace are not evenly faced but are roughly piled at about a 45 degree angle. However, the pathway leading up from the spring on the northwest corner is called the 'Menehune Pathway' and the oldest Hawaiian Mahoe insisted on climbing over the site to make sure B. Jean Martin did not miss this interesting feature. 'There is evidence of a small enclosure, but the southern walls and extent of the heiau were obliterated in the construction of a cattle pen at the time the district was used for a pasture (McAllister 1933).'"
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-- Kihei de Silva

"I hosted two different Kupu teams today (and they are coming again tomorrow) and this is one of the projects we did. Cleared a new area and planted about 200 huli moi and lauloa." – Kaleo Wong

Photos from Kaleomanu‘iwa Wong and the Kupu Hawai‘ī crews who are restoring lo‘i kalo on the Kukanono slope below Ulupō heiau. Kaleo has been hired by Hika‘alani to assist (in part) with the Kailua Hawaiian Civic Clubʻs co-curatorship of Ulupō, a kuleana shared with ‘Ahahui Mālama i ka Lōkahi.