The eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands formed from volcanic
activity, and active volcanoes can still be found. Over 150 different ecosystems cover
the islands, from snow covered alpine regions to lava beds to tropical forests. Here,
plant and animal life developed in isolation, leading to one of the most unique groups
of life in the world. Unfortunately, the islands have also seen some of the most severe
extinction and endangered species rates.
Polynesian seafarers first inhabited the islands around 300 BC and built a caste
society, or class system. Europeans first called the islands the Sandwich Islands (not
the pb&j kind!). For a time, the islands were recognized as an independent nation, the
Kingdom of Hawaii, one of only four U.S. states with that distinction. Hawaii became
the 50th state of the United States in 1959.
Photos from the islands of Oahu and Kawaii. Photos by Kelsey Reed and family.