On the lower section look and listen for the white-rumped shama. It is black on top with a chestnut-colored breast and a long black-and-white tail. The shama has a variety of beautiful songs and often mimics other birds. A native of Malaysia, the shama has become widespread in introduced forests such as this one.
Lining the trail in the gulch are ki (ti) plants. They have shiny leaves, 1-2 feet long, that are arranged spirally in a cluster at the tip of a slender stem. Early Polynesian voyagers introduced ti to Hawai`i. They used the leaves for house thatch, skirts, sandals, and raincoats. Food to be cooked in the imu (underground oven) was first wrapped in ti leaves. A popular sport with the commoners was ho`ohe`e ki or ti leaf sledding. The sap from ti plants stained canoes and surfboards.
Watch for native koa trees in the short level section. Koa has sickle-shaped foliage and pale yellow flower clusters. Early Hawaiians made surfboards and outrigger canoe hulls out of the beautiful red brown wood. Today it is made into fine furniture.
Toward the end of the trail look and listen for the red-billed leiothrix, a songbird introduced from China in 1918. The leiothrix is olive-green above with an orange-yellow throat and underside. It is frequently seen on the ground, foraging for insects, fruits and seeds.