The State of Hawai‘i created the Natural Area Reserves System, or NARS, to preserve and protect representative samples of Hawaiian biological ecosystems and geological formations. The diverse areas found in the NARS range from marine and coastal environments to lava flows, tropical rainforests, and even an alpine desert. One can find rare plants and animals within these areas, many of which are on the edge of extinction. The reserves also protect some of the major watershed areas which provide vital sources of fresh water.