When alumna Roxy Ortiz was asked to create a mural for Lahaina Intermediate for Spectra Fest Lahaina 2025, a celebration of art, culture and community, she heeded the call. As a co-founder of Wooden Wave with her husband Matthew, Honu Honua—or “Earth Turtle”—was the provocative art collaboration.

“It felt really special to come back to my hometown and paint a mural for the school where I have so many memories attached to that time in my life,” Ortiz said. “Especially after the Lahaina fires and the challenges the students and teachers have gone through, bringing joy and a way to heal was important to me.”

Now, along Lahainaluna Road, students, staff and the community are greeted by a peaceful, floating turtle whose island shell breaks the ocean’s surface. The mural features a unique above-surface and underwater perspective showcasing the distinct flora, fauna and animals of Maui. 

The mural was inspired by the Polynesian Voyaging Societyʻs Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, which expresses PVS president and pwo navigator Nainoa Thompson’s philosophy that Earth is an island floating alone in the vast sea of space and is the only vessel we have. The concept emphasizes the need for us to live sustainably in balance—pono—with the planet and to mālama (care for) the environment. 

“I ka nānā no a ʻike” is an ʻōlelo noʻeau that means “by observing, one learns.” Ortiz creates her school murals to be classroom whiteboards, teaching students about the environment, sustainability and our relationship with the earth. Honu Honua is a microcosm of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education: the closer you look, the more you discover. 

Ortiz incorporated Thompson’s philosophy into the mural by depicting canoe plants—kalo, ‘ulu and niu—as the core vegetation, elevating their significance as indigenous food sources. The ridges of the honu reflect the unique topography of the West Maui mountains. She also took the concept of the “living reef” to heart, incorporating it as part of a sea turtle fin. 

Touches such as ʻulua flashing silvery glints in the honu’s cavernous eye and manu-o-Kū (white tern) and koaʻe kea (white-tailed tropicbird) offer a look into the biodiversity of Maui’s sea and sky. You can almost feel the wind currents they are gliding on.  

As a native of Lahaina, Ortiz embedded nods to beloved landmarks such as the 30-foot “L” that sits on Pu‘u Pa‘upa‘u or Mount Ball that signals Lahinaluna High School pride, the Moʻolele wa’a that was lost in the fires, and the iconic banyan tree that resiliently survived the disaster.  

“The students were just thrilled to see how the campus was beautified when they returned. The smiles and sense of pride have illuminated the students throughout this school year,” Lahaina Intermediate Principal Stacy Bookland said. “When Roxy visited and we spoke at the opening ceremony, it felt like family had come home, and more importantly, she left a piece of her with us.”