Rene Sylva facts for kids
Rene Sylva (January 1929 – December 28, 2008) was a native Hawaiian botanist from Paia, Hawaii. He was among the only native Hawaiian fishermen to speak in favor of a ban on fishing green sea turtles. After giving up a career in turtle fishing, he became involved in the conservation of native Hawaiian ecosystems. He assisted renowned botanists Otto Degener and Dr. Harold St. John in surveying remote regions of the Hawaiian Islands for native plants.
In 1976, Sylva became the caretaker of the Maui Zoological and Botanical Gardens in Kahului, Hawaii, which later became known as the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. Gradually he shifted the garden’s emphasis from exotic animals to plants unique to Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, and Kaho‘olawe—creating the first botanical garden in the state to focus on endemic plants. He personally collected and cultivated over 200 native coastal and dry forests species. He was widely considered the authority on the native flora of Maui County.
Throughout his life, Sylva passionately defended native Hawaiian ecosystems.
He was active with many volunteer organizations, including the Honokowai restoration project, and the reforestation of Kaho‘olawe until suffering from a stroke in 2006. He is credited with mentoring numerous conservationists, including native plant nursery owner, Anna Palomino, and parataxonomists Forest and Kim Starr. For his efforts to conserve rare and endangered flora and fauna in Hawaii, Tetramolopium sylvae, an endangered species in the family Asteraceae, was named in his honor.
Sylva served as a tank driver for the U.S. military during the Korean War.
See also
In Spanish: Rene Sylva para niños
