Moomomi is a

Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

preserve located on the northwestern shore of

Molokai Molokai , or Molokai (), is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its greatest length an ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. It was established in 1988. This area is dry and hot, primarily denuded of soil due to

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...

and poor land use practices over the last 150 years. Moomomi preserve protects some of the very last intact coastal shrublands in Hawaii. The Moomomi preserve contains

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

lithified Lithification (from the Ancient Greek word ''lithos'' meaning 'rock' and the Latin-derived suffix ''-ific'') is the process in which sediments compact under pressure, expel connate fluids, and gradually become solid rock. Essentially, lithificati ...

sand formations, rare endemic Hawaiian coastal plant species, nesting

seabird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...

s and

green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...

s (''Chelonia mydas''), and the occasional

Hawaiian monk seal The Hawaiian monk seal (''Neomonachus schauinslandi'') is an endangered species of earless seal in the family Phocidae that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of two extant monk seal species; the other is the Med ...

(''Monachus schauinslandi''). An endangered bee species, '' Hylaeus hilaris'', is only known from here. Within the preserve, over 22 native plant species can be found including ''akoko'' (''

Euphorbia skottsbergii ''Euphorbia skottsbergii'' ( syn. ''Chamaesyce skottsbergii'') is a rare species of flowering plant in the euphorb family known by the common names coastal sandmat and Skottsberg's broomspurge. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is found in coas ...

''), ''nehe'' ('' Lipochaeta integrifolia''), ''

Tetramolopium rockii ''Tetramolopium rockii'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name dune tetramolopium. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Molokai. It is threatened by habitat destruction ...

'', ''hinahina kū kahakai'' ( ''Heliotropium anomalum'' var. ''argenteum''),Heliotropium anomalum var. argenteum - Hinahina, hinahina ku kahakai, nohonohopuuone, pohinahina (Boraginaceae) - Plants of Hawaii - 1
/ref> ''kolokolo kahakai'' (''

Vitex rotundifolia ''Vitex rotundifolia'', the roundleaf chastetree or beach vitex, is a species of flowering plant in the sage family Lamiaceae. It is native to seashores throughout the Pacific. Its range includes continents and islands stretching from India east ...

''), ''pōhuehue'' ('' Ipomoea pes-caprae brasiliensis''), ''pāūohiiaka'' ('' Jacquemontia ovalifolia sandwicensis''), ''naupaka'' ('' Scaevola'' spp.), ''enaena'' ('' ''Pseudognaphalium sandwicensium'' var. ''molokaiense''''), and many others. Access to Moomoni Preserve is available during Nature Conservancy guided tours.

References

External links

The Nature Conservancy: Why you should visit Moomomi
{{coord, 21.195452, -157.166344, display=title Nature reserves in Hawaii Protected areas of Molokai Nature Conservancy preserves Protected areas established in 1988 1988 establishments in Hawaii

References

Further reading

External links