Going, Going...Gone? The Most Abundant Tree in Hawai'i Is Dying—and There's No Cure in Sight

"Rapid 'Ōhi'a Death" has killed over 135,000 acres on the Big Island of Hawai'i, and disappearance of Ōhi'a forests could have serious ramifications for watersheds and ecosystems in the state. But for native Hawaiians, who along with their ancestors revere the tree, vanishing Ōhi'a could mean the loss of a heritage that developed long before they had a written language.