From tomorrow through Sunday, members of the staff of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Western Office will be in the Hanalei area for a series of retreat meetings, and using the Garden Island’s remarkable rural setting to frame discussions
From tomorrow through Sunday, members of the staff of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Western Office will be in the Hanalei area for a series of retreat meetings, and using the Garden Island’s remarkable rural setting to frame discussions about diversity, cultural-heritage tourism, communications strategies, and the future of historic preservation, they said in a press release.
Dr. Anthea M. Hartig, Western Office director, members of her staff, and Valecia Crisafulli, associate director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Statewide and Local Partners Program, will be joining nine Western members of the National Trust Board of Advisors (each state provides two Advisors to the Board of Advisors) for two days of meetings in the Hanalei area.
Members of preservation organizations from across the West will round out the group, including: California Preservation Foundation, Historic Hawaii Foundation, Washington Trust for Historic Preservation (Seattle), Arizona Preservation Foundation, Preservation Action Council of San Jose, Save Our Heritage Organisation (San Diego), Daughters of Hawaii, and the Architectural Heritage Center/Bosco Milligan Foundation (Portland).
This National Trust for Historic Preservation planning meeting follows on the heels of the naming of Waimea to the organization’s list of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2006, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States.
Waimea was selected from 93 destinations in 39 states, nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and local communities.
Citing its superb culture and heritage, National Trust for Historic Preservation President Richard Moe called Waimea “a jewel in plain sight.” Waimea has been beckoning visitors for more than two centuries, and is filled with historical places dating from the time of the Polynesian migration.
Once the winter capital for Hawaiian royalty, Waimea is the place in Hawai’i where Captain James Cook first landed in 1778, and is home to the 3,567foot-deep Waimea Canyon.
The same qualities that led to Waimea’s being named a distinctive destination make the entire island a compelling location for a retreat focused upon historic preservation.
Waimea residents are deservedly proud of their intact collection of early-19th-century structures, and visitors islandwide can immerse themselves in Kaua’i’s brilliant sunsets, natural heritage, and outdoor activities.
Kaua’i tangibly demonstrates the challenges and opportunities that are posed by heritage tourism in desirable locations with rich local cultural traditions and sensitive natural resources.
Brimming with lush flora that runs from the mountains to the sea, the landscape of Kaua’i is complemented by the spirit of a people who are committed to maintaining a rural lifestyle.
When historic buildings are torn down or communities lose their defining character and are allowed to deteriorate, part of the past disappears forever.
When people lose touch with the histories that identify people and places where that history took place, they begin to lose their cultural memory.
Members and guests of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, their advisors and partners, look forward to learning more about the Garden Island.
During their retreat, Kaua’i’s charms and challenges will help shape a broader discussion of preservation today.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to saving historic places and revitalizing America’s communities.
Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the trust was founded in 1949, and provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to protect the irreplaceable places that tell America’s stories.
Staff at the Washington, D.C., headquarters, six regional offices, and 28 historic sites work with the trust’s 270,000 members and thousands of preservation groups in all 50 states.
Located in San Francisco, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Western Office has been working with representatives of state and local-partner organizations, community leaders, public officials, and grassroots groups since 1971, providing a wide range of services to assist communities in defending their historic identities and preserve their defining landmarks.
The office staff serves Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawai’i, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and the Pacific island territories.
For further information regarding the upcoming meetings or for information on National Trust for Historic Preservation grants and programming” in Hawai’i, e-mail wro@nthp.org, or call 1-415-947-0692.
