About the Native Plants Hawaiʻi Project

leafProject Description

The goal of Native Plants Hawaiʻi (NPH) is to create and establish a single, comprehensive and searchable online knowledgebase of endemic and indigenous plants of Hawaiʻi.

NHP was created with funding from an USDA-NIFA grant. Today, Leeward Community College faculty have a collaboration based on Open Pedagogy where students get to update this website as part of the courses. Botany, Agriculture, Biology and Information and Computer Science faculty work together to make sure the information is up to date and follow peer-review guidelines. Students become part of the creating process benefiting the community that relies on this site for information.

leafProject Team

Daniela Dutra Elliott, Ph.D
University of Hawai'i, Leeward CC
Assistant Professor, Botany and Horticulture


Alyssa MacDonald, Ph.D.
University of Hawai'i, Leeward CC
Associate Professor, Biology


Petersen Gross
University of Hawai'i, Leeward CC
Associate Professor, Information and Computer Science


Contact: agsu@hawaii.edu

leafPrevious Project Contributors

Cheryll Aldridge

David Eickhoff

Priscilla Millen

Shari Y. Tamashiro

Project Advisors: Rick Barboza and Eileen Herring

Content Contributors:

  • Linda Bard, Waimea Valley, retired
  • Jill Coryell, Hibiscus Lady
  • Kaʻiulani de Silva, Kapa Mau
  • Michael DeMotta, National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG)
  • Christopher Dunn, Lyon Arboretum
  • Napua Harbottle, Bishop Museum
  • Robert Hobdy, Botanist
  • Naomi Hoffman, Honolulu Botanical Gardens
  • Clyde Imada, Bishop Museum
  • Bruce Koebele, Kaʻala Farm
  • Dr. Tetsuo Koyama, The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
  • Joel Lau, Botanist
  • Kay Lynch, Laʻau Hawaiʻi
  • Kepā Maly, Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center
  • Jameison Martinez, Honolulu Zoo
  • Leland Miyano, Landscape Architect, Artist
  • Angela Nishimoto, Leeward Community College
  • Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC
  • Karen Shigematsu, Lyon Arboretum
  • Forest & Kim Starr, United States Geological Survey-Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (USGS-PCSU)
  • Anna Yorba, Hawaiian Garden Design

Copy Editor: Mary Louise Haraguchi

Flash Animation: Martin Holzgang

Research Assistant: Jessie Oliver

Student Assistants: Chelsea Goto, Diana Troutman and Codi-lee Wong

Systems Administrator: Jesse Andow

Technical Consultant: Jason Aldridge

Web Graphics / Layout: Jolene Sasaki