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Aloha, OISC's survey, control and outreach activities between January and March 2017 are below. 
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Photo: OISC field crew sawing through the trunk of a large miconia tree.

OISC Report for January-March 2017


Miconia (Miconia calvescens):
Between January and March 2017, the OISC crew surveyed 2,214 acres by air and 945 acres by ground for miconia. Two mature trees were found and controlled in Kaʿalaea with Dr. James Leary’s Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT) whereby a paintball gun is outfitted with herbicide pellets that are shot from the helicopter. This technology allows OISC to survey and control areas that are too steep to survey by ground.
 
Another 125 immature trees were removed from Kaʿalaea, 77 from Mānoa, 24 from Nuʿuanu, 4 from Kalihi and 2 from Waimānalo. This quarter, the immature miconia found in Waiawa in December of 2016 was treated using HBT.  
 
During surveys for Rapid ʿŌhiʿa Death, the field crew spotted a previously unmapped patch of miconia in between our survey areas in Maunawili and Mānoa. In one day the crew removed 6 mature trees and 78 immature trees over only 4 acres! There is still a lot more to survey and we expect to find many more mature trees. 

The Maunawili Demonstration Trail goes through this area, anyone planning to hike the trail in the future, please keep an eye out for this species! A photo is below; the three key identifying factors are three deep horizontal veins running from tip to base of the leaf, striking purple undersides and leaves that seem unusually large for the stem. If in doubt, please take a photo, we’d be happy to confirm! If you do see miconia, please don’t pull it, take a GPS point and a photo and contact OISC at 266-7994 or oisc@hawaii.edu (a good location description is OK if you don’t have a GPS device).

Between 2002 and 2005, when OISC was just beginnning, the initial findings of miconia in Waimānalo, Kalihi, Kahaluʿu, ʿĀhuimanu and Haʿīku were all reported to us by members of the public, so don't be shy about reporting if you think you see this species. 
 
Above: Aerial photo of the new miconia patch in Maunawili.
The orange arrows point to miconia trees.
Below: Photos of miconia. Please call or e-mail OISC (266-7994 or oisc@hawaii.edu) if you think you see this plant. The three identifying characteristics are prominent veins running from leaf tip to leaf base, unusually large leaves and bright purple undersides. 

Devil weed (Chromolaena odorata):
544 acres were surveyed for devil weed in ʿAiea and Paumalū. The field crew monitored the area treated for devil weed in Kahana State Park and the treatment was very effective.  Only 13 individual plants were found and these were all in between the treated hotspots or just on the edges.
 
Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor)
Himalayan blackberry control continued this quarter, although OISC has achieved a remarkable decline in plants, it is proving difficult to get the very last ones. The crew found 7 immature plants during this last visit.
 
Cape ivy (Delairea odorata):
The crew conducted surveys for Cape ivy, and found one mature plant and 394 immature plants.  
 
Cane ti (Tibouchina herbacea):
OISC, KMWP and NARS collectively surveyed 40 acres and removed 7 mature and 526 immature cane ti from Poamoho. The crew completed some aerial surveys of ʿAiea as well as ground surveys and did not find additional plants. If you think you see T. herbacea, please tell us! As for miconia, it is best if you don’t pull the plant. Just take a photo and a GPS point or give us a detailed description of where the plant is.
Tibouchina herbacea or cane ti. Like miconia, it has prominent veins on its leaves.
The leaves are fuzzy and the flowers are bright pink. 

Rapid ʿŌhiʿa Death (Ceratocystis)
The crew completed a second round of surveys looking for ʿōhiʿa trees that may be showing symptoms of ROD over the Koʿolau and Waiʿanae Ranges. OISC will review the data in April and decide if any of the trees need to be sampled. For more information on ROD symptoms, visit www.rapidohiadeath.org. If you see trees you think should be sampled, please take photos and a GPS point and OISC can take samples and submit to the lab to test for ROD. So far, all samples taken on Oʿahu have been negative.

Coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui): 
OISC removed three coqui frogs from Waimānalo. Think you might be hearing a frog? Compare what you are hearing with the soundfiles on our website http://www.oahuisc.org/coqui-frog/. If you aren’t sure, you can record what you hear and send it to us, if it is coqui, we’ll come catch it for you.
 
Little Fire Ant (Wasmannia auropunctata):
OISC conducted 13 surveys for little fire ant at high-risk sites, little fire ant was found at four sites, all were subsequently treated.
 
Outreach
Continued surveys of hikers at trailheads to gauge awareness of ʿōhiʿa and Rapid ʿŌhiʿa Death. Mahalo to everyone who participated! Preliminary results suggest that while many Oʿahu residents are not familiar with ʿōhiʿa or Rapid ʿŌhiʿa Death, most would use a boot washing station if it was provided. Complete results will be presented at the 2017 Hawaiʿi Conservation Conference as a poster.
 
OISC reached 2,532 people between January and March with events, presentations and school visits and led the little fire ant activity in two schools.
 
OISC and HDOA staff donned little fire ant and coconut rhinoceros beetle costumes, respectively, for the Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Week awards. The invertebrates toured the legislature afterwards.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle and the little fire ant with Governor Ige at the Hawaiʿi Invasive Species Awareness Week Award Ceremony. 
The Oʿahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) protects Oʿahu from invasive species by targeting those species that are known to be harmful to Oʿahu’s environment, agriculture or quality of life, but have not yet established. In this way we can efficiently protect large natural areas from the most damaging invasive species. 
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