As desolate as the barren lava landscape at the park may appear, the people who lived in Kaloko-Honokohau developed a system of working and living in balance with their environment. Life was not easy, fresh water was scarce and food was harvested from the sea and aquaculture ponds. These products would be traded with extended family living in the uplands for other required staples such as taro, breadfruit and paper mulberry. The ahupua'a consisted of land extending from the mountains to the sea and included all the necessary items for survival. This system still forms the basis for many land and resource management policies throughout the state of Hawai'i today.