Darkness is the least appreciated natural resource on the planet. For scientists and practitioners, saving the night sky is as important as preserving Hawai‘i’s native forests or its coral reefs.

The multi-million-dollar manta ray tour industry is a beast of its own. Named one of the “top 10 things to do in your lifetime,” snorkeling or diving with these creatures off the Kona coast at night has become immensely popular over the last three decades. It’s also an activity that’s never been regulated.

A library of rare books on Kaua‘i represents a wide range of musings and curiosities about the natural world spanning five centuries.