Kīlauea Point refuge mural to anchor Kauai World Ocean Day event
Kīlauea Point’s new mosaic mural will greet World Ocean Day visitors and students as a hands-on lesson in Kauai history, culture and ocean stewardship.
Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge will turn a new 80-foot mosaic mural into the centerpiece of its Kauai World Ocean Day observance, pairing public art with a conservation lesson at one of the island’s most visited North Shore landmarks.
The refuge will host its celebration on June 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with gates closing at 3:30 p.m. The event will include a public viewing of the mural created by Kathleen Ho and the Garden Island Arts Council, a project Friends of Kauai Wildlife Refuges describes as Ka Pae Āina O Hawaii Nei. Advance reservations are required because parking is limited.
Friends of Kauai Wildlife Refuges says the mural is more than decoration. It is a culturally centered educational program and community-created mosaic that was developed through a series of workshops. The finished work is planned for an existing 100-foot cement retaining wall at Kīlauea Point, where it is intended to serve as a continuous design and educational resource for visitors.
The project brings together a broad cast of local partners, including Kumu Hula Kehaulani Kekua of Hālau Palaihiwa O Kaipuwai, Kathleen Ho, Carol Yotsuda of GIAC, and Kīlauea Point NWR. That mix of artists, cultural practitioners and refuge staff is meant to give the mural a dual purpose: to teach local history and Hawaiian cultural values while reinforcing the refuge’s ocean stewardship message.
Thomas Daubert, executive director of Friends of Kauai Wildlife Refuges, said the mural was already up, though installation was still progressing. He framed the work as something meant to be seen in person as part of the June 6 program, which most Kauai organizations use for World Ocean Day even though the United Nations recognizes June 8 as the official date.
The mural also fits into a larger islandwide pattern. GIAC says it is sponsoring the Hawaiian Archipelago Mosaic Mural Program at Wowoni Point at Kīlauea Lighthouse in 2026, while its airport display program has installed more than 90 exhibits in two large window showcases at Līhue Airport. Together, those projects point to a broader effort to turn public spaces into hands-on learning sites that connect residents and visitors to Kauai’s environment, culture and place.
At Kīlauea Point, that effort will be visible in one large wall, one coastal refuge and one day built around the ocean.
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