Active response updates

• Little Fire Ant (LFA): 
  • With the current situation, it has been brought to our attention that conservation teams are in need of trainings for staff. We figured this would be a good opportunity to offer online trainings on Little Fire Ants (LFA), with the added bonus of offering Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) Credits. The course will cover: biology, survey & data entry, pesticide safety, and integrated pest management for LFA. 3 RUP credits will be offered. If you are interested, please contact heather.forester@littlefireants.com to schedule a May training date.
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    Photo above: Little Fire Ant colony in folds of weed matting.
  • HAWAII ISLAND: For updates, please visit our website: www.littlefireants.com   The extension team has a lot of good events planned for 2020 to help educate the public about our new findings.
• • If you find that you or your organization has an issue with invasive ants, please feel free to contact the Hawaii Ant Lab at (808) 315-5656. We are here to assist with best management plans for any situation.
  • • The Hawaii Ant Lab (HAL) has continued coordinating Little Fire Ant (LFA) eradication efforts with HDOA, ISCs, CGAPS, and other agencies on Kauai, Oahu, and Maui. Though it may seem disheartening that LFA are being detected, it shows an increased awareness of this invasive species. These detections have population sizes that indicate the ants have been there for some time. This reinforces the need to test your properties for LFA at least once per year, and to test any high risk items you are bringing onto a property. Vigilance is key.
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    • Little Fire Ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) are TINY! Only about 1/8" in length, but pack a sting like an ELECTRIC SHOCK! In Australia, LFA are called "Electric Ants" due to their shocking sting!
  • • Additional outbreaks of Little Fire Ants have been detected on neighbor islands, some of which may be linked to the movement of personal items. As a reminder, Little Fire Ants are hitchhikers and can catch a ride on nearly anything. We can accidentally bring them with us when we travel or move to another island, so test all belongings and ensure you don’t bring this pest home with you!

• Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB):
  • For more information or pictures, please contact the CRB Response at 679-5244 or BeetleBustersHI@gmail.com
• Rapid Ohia Death (ROD):
  • Testing at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Diagnostic Lab in Hilo is responsible for processing all ROD samples from across the state. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, USDA ARS has currently suspended all operations until further notice. If you have any ROD samples please keep them in the refrigerator and we will inform everyone once ARS lab is accepting samples again. If samples are kept in the refrigerator, they can last up to 8, possibly 12 weeks.
  • Since we are not able to have our annual ROD symposia this year, we have developed a webinar series to keep the community up to date on advances in our understanding and management of the disease.
    • We have scheduled the following webinars:
    • Wednesday April 22nd ROD Distribution and Abundance on Hawai'i Island (William Stormont, DLNR/DOFAW Hawai'i Island, and William Buckley, Big Island Invasive Species Committee)
    • Wednesday April 29th Impact of ROD on Forest Stands (Ryan Perroy, Timo Sullivan, and  Eszter Collier, SDAV lab, University of Hawai'i at Hilo)
    • Wednesday May 13th Importance of Beetles in Spreading ROD (Kylle Roy and Robert Peck, USGS Pacific Ecosystems Research Center)
    • Wednesday May 20th Tree and Wood Treatments (Marc Hughes, USDA Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry)
    • Wednesday May 27th Community Member Actions to Manage ROD (J.B. Friday, University of Hawai'i Cooperative Extension Service)
    • These webinars will be via Zoom. Each webinar will be given at noon, Hawai'i Standard time, and reprised again at 6:00 pm.
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    • Research Update: 
      • Learn more about the ROD Seed Banking Initiative and sign up for future workshops at ohialove.com.
    • Newsletter:  To view the current issue of the newsletter click the link as follows: http://mailchi.mp/e1ed2686c31b/rapid-hia-death-newsletter
      • To opt-in to receive future newsletters please click on link here: http://eepurl.com/cY7z0j
    • Please Follow & Like our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RapidOhiaDeath/ 
    • Please contact Ambyr Mokiao-Lee (ambyr[at]hawaii.edu) for more information.
    • The fungi (Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia) that kill ʻōhiʻa are known as “wound pathogens”. That means in order for the tree to become infected, the tree has to have a wound – a wound that penetrates the bark. Wounds allow the microscopic fungal spores to enter a tree. Trees can be wounded in different ways – when high winds break branches, by scuffing tree roots when hiking, when blazing trails in the forest, by pruning trees in your yard. And there’s another way: when animals such as pigs, goats, cattle, or sheep peel or rub bark off trees. Studies on Hawaiʻi Island show that areas without such animals have much lower prevalence of ROD. Often, these areas are fenced to keep animals out. Data for unfenced areas show an opposite pattern. In these areas, where ungulates roam, trees get wounded and there can be a much greater prevalence of ʻōhiʻa that have died due to ROD. The two take-aways here: 1) it’s important not to wound ʻōhiʻa; and 2) it’s important to protect ʻōhiʻa from hooved animals.
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      • Photo above: Rapid `Ohi`a Death informational display in baggage claim area of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, O`ahu.
      • This document outlines efforts and progress made in understanding the disease, its pathology, and the various science-driven management activities implemented across the state for long-term health of our forests. It also provides recommendations for priority actions, complete with cost estimates.
      • The updated Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Strategic Plan has just been published and is available for reading and downloading here: www.rapidohiadeath.org

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    Sanitize for inter-island travel! Not just for coronavirus!
    Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death disease (ROD) has been detected on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui and Oʻahu. If you or someone you know will be traveling inter-island, please take extra care to clean your shoes and gear before and after traveling between islands to prevent the spread of ROD. First brush the dirt off, then spray with 70% rubbing alcohol. If hiking, remember to stay off of ʻōhiʻa roots –walking on roots can break bark and expose the trees to ROD-causing fungi.
    

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  • What is the latest recommendation for what to do with infected ʻōhiʻa wood?     Keep wood onsite. Don’t turn it into mulch as that creates more material to spread disease. If felling a tree, cut with a sharpened tool on a low-wind, drizzly day to keep infectious material from moving around. Make as few cuts as possible. Wood can be safely burned in an imu, barbecue, smokehouse, or fireplace. Otherwise, keep it covered with a tarp to keep boring ambrosia beetles from attacking or escaping from the wood.
• Recommended Actions to Prevent the Spread of ROD:
  • 1) Keep your eyes open. If you see ʻōhiʻa with a limb or crown turning brown, take a picture, and contact KISC via email (saveohia@hawaii.edu) or phone (808-821-1490). Samples of the wood must be taken by trained technicians and tested in a laboratory to confirm the presence of the ROD fungi.
  • 2) Avoid injuring ʻōhiʻa. Wounds serve as entry points for the fungus and increase the odds that the tree will become infected and die from ROD. Avoid pruning and contact with heavy equipment wherever possible.
  • 3) Clean gear and tools, including shoes and clothes, before and after entering the forest and areas where ʻōhiʻa may be present. Brush all soil off tools and gear, then spray with 70% rubbing alcohol. Wash clothes with hot water and soap.
  • 4) Wash your vehicle with a high-pressure hose or washer if you’ve been off-roading or have picked up mud from driving. Clean all soil off tires--including mountain bikes and motorcycles--and vehicle undercarriage. The disease can be spread to new areas by moving plants, plant parts, and wood from infected areas to non-infected areas.
• MEDIA RESOURCES
  (All images/video courtesy: DLNR)
  • HD video-field survey training, digital sketch mapping (May 11, 2018)
    https://vimeo.com/269082425 (shot sheet attached)
  • HD video-Kauai Rapid Ōhiʻa Death video news release (May 11, 2018)
    https://vimeo.com/269288041
  • Photographs-digital sketch mapping, field survey training:
  • https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mq70cw6a28ntdvv/AADuifNH5sjB19l0e0ZSRz7ba?dl=0
  • Video-Ceratocystis: Tale of Two Species & Screening for Resistance:
    https://vimeo.com/258657188
  • For more on Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death:
    https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rod/
    Credit: Kauai Invasive Species Committee/Kim S. Rogers:
  • https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bfvw1jtvzfiwv21/AABcDlc_BMwJqMDwUWaok36-a?dl=0
    Seanne Igne (Protection Forester/DOFAW) is pictured while conducting Digital Mobile Sketch Mapping surveys via helicopter.
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• Photo above: Kalalau Valley courtesy of Nate Yuen

• Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)
  • Please visit the link above for general information.

  • DAR’s Aquatic Invasive Species Team has effectively transitioned to teleworking in the wake of the COVID-19 Crisis. Skype for Business has been utilized to maintain team communication, conduct meetings and keep projects on track. All team members have created detailed work plans to ensure progress on current projects. Priority tasks at this time include processing of monitoring data from Kāneʻohe Bay, updating known Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) database and progressing DAR’s aquatic organism risk screening process.

    Essential Field work continues to take place and has been adapted under current CDC protocol which ensures the safety of team members and the public during these operations. These projects include urchin outplants and collections for spawning, which become necessary due to the limited space in DAR’s hatchery and their ability to continue production. Other time sensitive survey protocols are being developed to maintain our monitoring schedule. Other field projects (such as ARMS, discussed in prior updates) have been postponed due to logistical constraints under these circumstances.

    DAR’s AIS Team is fortunate to continue our work in protecting Hawaii’s Aquatic Resources from the threats of invasive species for the people of Hawaii during this time.

    

  • DAR’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Field Team has continued Kāne‘ohe Bay invasive species control, monitoring, and restoration efforts. Invasive algae management continues in the bay in the form of monitoring and sea urchin out-plantings. Annual Long-Term Reef monitoring will begin again in March on priority patch reefs. Stocking of sea urchins continues on priority reefs to maintain invasive algae at levels below 5% coverage.
  • DAR’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Field Team has begun building on the success of collector urchin out-plantings in Kāne‘ohe  Bay, by beginning out-planting hatchery-raised native sea urchins in the Waikīkī Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).  Recently, DAR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) team introduced the first of 100,000 native sea urchins (Tripneustes gratilla), to help control over 4 acres of invasive algae.
  • See the Full story at: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ais/2020/02/27/sea-urchins-helping-to-control-invasive-seaweed-honolulu/
• Division Of Forestry And Wildlife (DOFAW)
  • Please visit the link above for general information. 
• Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC)
  • Please visit the link above for general information.

• Please visit the link above for general information.
• Rapid Ohia Death (ROD)
  • ROD Reminder: Anyone on ROD-free islands with suspect trees should call their local Invasive Species Committee (see links below under University of Hawaii's Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit) so that any samples go through HDOA's Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) and not through the regular post – More information can be found at www.rapidohiadeath.org.

• The next Mamalu Poepoe Working Group Meeting is scheduled for Monday May 18th, 1:00 - 3:30 pm. 
  This will be a virtual meeting. For the agenda and participating details, please contact Leyla Kaufman (contact details below).
• Mamalu Poepoe (Sphere of Protection) Project - Mamalu Poepoe is a project funded by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) for a period of 5 years. The program is being coordinated through the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) and aims at increasing surveillance of invasive species at six airport facilities on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii. The program targets Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB), Africanized honeybees (AHB), ants and mosquitoes.
• The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is the lead agency for the work on ants, CRB and AHB and the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is the lead agency for the work on mosquitoes. Mamalu Poepoe is partnering with the Invasive Species Committees (ISC’s) and the Hawaii Ant Lab (HAL) to conduct the monitoring activities. 

• Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS)
  • Join me in welcoming Kailee Lefebvre to the CGAPS team!  Kailee started in her new role as the CGAPS Planner on April 16 and we've been spending some quality video conference time doing orientation to admin procedures and the new HISC/CGAPS 2025 Strategies. I've pasted a note from Kailee below, which includes her contact information:   
    ***
    Aloha! My name is Kailee Lefebvre, the new CGAPS Planner. I am a proud UH Manoa graduate with a degree in Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. My first industry experience was as an intern at the HI Department of Agriculture, in their Market Development division. For the past nearly 5 years, I was the Outreach Specialist for the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response. I built the outreach program, worked on strategic goals and planning, and supported field operations and data management. I’ve also volunteered for various projects working on invasive plant removal and habitat restoration across Oahu from mauka to makai. I’m very excited to expand my knowledge, experience, and network with everyone working on other conservation efforts in the state. I look forward to working with you all and providing support however possible! Please feel free to contact me by my new CGAPS work cell phone (808) 726-0181 or by email at KaileeHL@hawaii.edu. 
     
• Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) 
  • Please visit the link above for general information.
  • Like most organizations, finding creative ways to enact physical distancing for employee safety has been the priority recently at BIISC.  Every crew member has been assigned a vehicle, where they store their designated set of tools and personal gear to minimize entry into the buildings. When interacting with teammates, partner organizations, and the community, we wear facemasks and maintain a strict distance. Meetings and training have all gone virtual for now, and non-field work provides an opportunity to explore webinars and new tools, such as using the ESRI Collector App for mapping and data collection. 
  • Some good results of the stay-at-home order: we were finally able to get in touch with one of our more reluctant homeowners, who finally agreed to let us remove a population of rubber vine (Cryptostegia)! He is now the proud owner of 4 yesterday, today, and tomorrow bushes (Brunfelsia australis). BIISC, on the other hand, is the proud owner of a trailer full of invasive vegetation. It will be wrapped burrito-style in a tarp until entirely dead. 
  • The BIISC ROD team is proud to announce new crew leader Kristen Hofer! Kristen has been with BIISC for several years, and we are all excited to see her take on this new role. Recently, Bill Buckley, Forest Response Coordinator, teamed up with Bill Stormont of DOFAW to offer a live online session about ROD on the Big Island and our response strategies. Over 100 people attended! Stay tuned for the recording to be posted on the CTAHR site. 
  • Finally, we have some fantastic news: two new mini-BIISCuits arrived this month! Please help us congratulate ROD team’s Jordan Zanders and his partner on their firstborn child and longtime early detection team member Bobby Parsons on the birth of his third baby. At least they will all have plenty of time to rest at home!
  • RLW - Rat lungworm (Angiostrongyliasis) research and recommendations are essential outreach topics. 
  • QLB - Acalolepta aesthetica, commonly known as Queensland Longhorn beetle, has established in the Puna and Hilo areas of Hawaii island. 
• Kaua`i Invasive Species Committee (KISC)
  • Please visit the link above for general information.
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  • Photo above: As with the rest of the country, the months of March and April for KISC departed far from normal, being over-shadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic response.   During the shutdown, the KISC office has remained closed to the public.  Staff working remotely have continued to respond to questions, calls, reports, and requests from the public.  All in-person outreach activities have been discontinued and all scheduled events are cancelled for the foreseeable future.
  • In common with the rest of the country, our outreach focus during this time has shifted online.  Social media post frequency has been increased from twice weekly to daily or more, with also more frequent blog posts and short news items.  In response we have seen an increase in online consumption:  our average weekly web page views increased by 48% from March 23 to April 24, and our Facebook reach increased 203% from March 1 to April 29 – from 878 to 2,663 daily.  Two middle school students are also being mentored online with invasive species projects.
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  • Photo above: Essential field work to control target species has continued under modified conditions to adhere to social distancing guidelines.  Safety of the crew is paramount and rigorous sanitation and safety protocols are followed.  During March-April, the KISC crew has focused management efforts on miconia, controlling 43 immature plants within the known infestation area.
  • Coqui frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui 
  • Little Fire Ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) 
  • Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) 
    • In March, right before COVID-19 restrictions went into place, our KROD Rapid Response team sampled trees that tested positive for Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia in two new locations on Kauai’s North Shore. A press release was distributed, resulting in this story.
    • In April, new four-color, aluminum signs were installed at nearly two dozen trailheads across the island. They are educational in nature—about ‘ōhi‘a, explaining Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death, and pointing out ways people can help save ‘ōhi’a.
    • Just in time for Earth Day and ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua Day, a data visualization story about the statewide ‘ōhi’a seed banking efforts published in an online publication about data visualization. Story and visuals here.
    • The spring edition of the Kauai Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death newsletter published and viewable here.
    • The ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua Day celebration quickly pivoted to an online event, themed “Share Your ‘Ōhi‘a Love." Numerous people shared their photographs of ‘ōhi’a. Artist Patrick Ching created a video for kids of all ages, teaching them to draw ‘ōhi‘a lehua. Uma Nagendra with National Tropical Botanical Garden shared a video of how to use face paints to create a “sleeve” of ‘ōhi‘a lehua on her arm. And Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leinā‘ala created a stunning montage video of hula practitioners dancing in their yards to the same song. Also, we gave out 186 keiki activities kits, distributed by mail and through hula halau, to provide kids ways to celebrate ‘ōhi‘a while at home.
• Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
  • Please visit the link above for general information.
  • Overall: Among other activities, MISC efforts in April focused on developing guidelines for safe work during the COVID-19 pandemic. MISC obtained additional supplies from local vendors in an effort to support enhanced safety during fieldwork. Thanks to Maui Brewing Company for hand sanitizer and Maui
    Outreach: In the increasingly virtual world of meetings and presentations, staff participated in the first online Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training.  This online version of the training was a test run of the new system to Maui conservation field crews with approximately 80 in attendance. Additionally, MISC offered a training tailored for high school students and a standard tour guide training featuring Maggie Pulver from the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC). The next online Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training is on May 21, and will feature guest speaker Melissa Price talking about the pueo, or Hawaiian short-eared owl (Asio flammeus sandwichensis). MISC outreach staff participated in the first-ever virtual Maui Earth Day Event on 4/26.  The monthly MISC editorial in the Maui News featured an article about activities island residents can do from their backyards to protect Maui and the May editorial feature will cover host-specificity as it applies to biological control.
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    Photo above: MISC was featured in the New York University Scienceline editorial called Fighting for an Island based on the work done by the program to control little fire ants on Maui both from the ground and air by helicopter. 
    Coqui:
    We are pleased to welcome the new Coqui Community Engagement Coordinator, Susan Frett. Susan is originally from Iowa and most recently, Madison, Wisconsin. She has a master’s degree in Environmental Conservation from UW-Madison and has worked at a variety of conservation-related non-profit organizations as well as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). While working at the WDNR she helped to launch the Snapshot Wisconsin project which is a volunteer-based wildlife monitoring project utilizing trail cameras. To date, that project has over 2,000 volunteers hosting wildlife cameras that provide data for wildlife management to the WDNR. 
    MISC Coqui Community Engagement team engaged remotely with coqui community groups in April. Staff empowered residents by setting up neighborhood drop boxes filled with small (1.28 lb) bags of powdered citric for them to access while also dropping off 50 lb bags of citric utilizing a no-contact food delivery method. Through these methods, MISC staff delivered 393.12 pounds of powdered citric acid to 12 different locations for residents to take action on controlling coqui frogs in their own yards.
    
  • Photo above: MISC's coqui crew began March with an extended experience of MISC's "Coqui College". Utilizing virtual meetings, the crew met daily in video and voice chat rooms. They created site response plans, trained new staff, and watched selected presentations from prior Hawai'i Conservation Conferences. An additional crew leader and 5 new crew will begin work when normal operations resume. 
    
  • Photo above: Nine shipping containers of anhydrous citric acid to be used for coqui frog control arrived on Maui and were unloaded at a new temporary storage site.
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  • Photo above: The crew has been working in the field at critical sites adjacent to the Maliko infestation zone for half of April. They are hand capturing coqui in these outlying areas. At one location, large area coqui habitat reduction was completed in conjunction with the night time control work.
    Little fire ants:
    In March the Little Fire Ant (LFA) Crew grew to four with the additions of Miki'ala Pua'a-Freitas becoming full-time and Betsy Black joining the team.  Miki'ala has extensive outdoor "fieldwork" experience, while Betsy most recently was an Interpretive Ranger at Haleakala National Park.  
    Before the COVID lockdown began, the crew did the following surveys and treatments according to plan: 5th Nahiku helicopter treatment, #3 of 8 at Twin Falls, and monitoring surveys at a plant nursery site, the Haiku site and the Hana green waste facility.  Upon resumption of fieldwork in April the team immediately conducted treatment #4 of 8 at Waihee Valley, the 6th Nahiku aerial treatment by helicopter, and the 2nd treatment at a local high school on 4/29.  The LFA crew also completed a monitoring survey at the Huelo site.
    The first week of May should see the first post-treatment survey at Happy Valley, along with treatment #4 of 8 at Twin Falls, Hot Spot treatments at Huelo, and continued surveying at the Kaeleku site in preparation for Hot Spot treatments there.  Later in May the crew intends to survey the Waihee Farm site (the first detection on Maui), and continue with the investigatory surveys downstream of the Twin Falls and Waihee Valley infestations. Interspersed with many of these treatments and surveys is a hefty amount of trail maintenance.   The upkeep of these trails is labor-intensive but helps ensure the effectiveness of our surveying and treatment efforts.
    Plants: 
    The American Conservation Experience (ACE) interns that had begun work in Hana returned to their homes on the mainland as a precaution once national, state, and local shutdowns began. They were able to learn a lot from MISC staff and plan to return to keep working on miconia control in and around the Hana Highway corridor. The Piiholo and Hana based plant crews are prioritizing plant control work in remote locations accessible by ground while remote camping trips accessible only by helicopter remain suspended. Areas that plant control staff are surveying include the upcountry/front country of Haleakala, Pu’u o Kali, and the Hana Highway corridor.
• Molokai-Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC)
  • Please visit the link above for general information.
• O`ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) 
  • Please visit the link above for general information.
  • Due to the COVID-19 crisis, OISC has suspended field operations and has been staying home and teleworking. Staff have been reading and updating policies and procedures and attending a variety of webinars and trainings on invasive species management strategies and computer applications. Outreach staff is still creating content for social media and working on creating educational tools to support teacher and parents for home schooling. OISC is still accepting suspect invasive species reports, though response has been delayed until the stay at home order restrictions are lightened. 
  • Early Detection While Staying Home: While we’re all doing our part to flatten the curve, this is also an excellent opportunity to do some early detection around your home and neighborhood.
  • Please report any suspect invasive species to the statewide pest hotline by calling 643-PEST or online at www.643pest.org  You can also download the free app (643pest) for your smartphone. 
  • Little Fire Ants: While we’re home this is a great time to test your yard for little fire ants. Hawaii Department of Agriculture is still accepting mailed ant samples. Testing is easy and you can also let us know your results online. If you can send a clear photo of your ants, we can tell you if you should mail them in for identification.
                    Test for Little Fire Ant: http://stoptheant.org/report-little-fire-ants/
                    Are your ant suspect? We’ll let you know:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/myantsurvey 
  • Coqui frogs: Oahu doesn’t have widespread coqui frogs. However, they and their eggs occasionally hitchhike over from Big Island. When coqui frogs hatch they are not tadpoles, but instead fully formed frogs…this means they don’t need ponding water to survive. If you’re out for an evening or early morning walk or run around the neighborhood, stop for a few minutes to listen for coqui frogs. The easiest way is to listen for them while having a coffee early in the morning…or an even better time, while having a nightcap on the lanai. If you hear them, you can just record the sound with your video and report it to 643pest.
    Not sure what coqui frogs sound like? Click here to listen to their recording: https://www.oahuisc.org/coqui-frog/
    Aloha and stay safe. We’re all very much looking forward to getting back into the field!
  • Miconia (Miconia calvescens) 
    • Topic: Miconia Management Plan Meeting Part 2
      Time: May 7, 2020 01:00 PM Hawaii
      Join Zoom Meeting
      https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89382816793?pwd=RzQyU2YyZTZaOTFDbERhUENqSFg3Zz09
      Meeting ID: 893 8281 6793
      Please contact: Rachel Neville at rneville@hawaii.edu for the meeting password.
    • Bring your ideas on feasible and measurable objectives that we can use to monitor our progress towards containment and eradication. 
    • If you suspect miconia, report to OISC along with photos if possible. E: oisc@hawaii.edu P: 808-266-7994.
  • Devil Weed (Chromolaena odorata) 
    • If you suspect devil weed, report to OISC along with photos if possible. E: oisc@hawaii.edu P: 808-266-7994. 
  • Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) 
    • If you see ‘ōhiʻa that is dead or dying with brown leaves still attached, report to OISC along with photos if possible. E: oisc@hawaii.edu P: 808-266-7994.
  • Naio Thrips (Klambothrips myopori) 
    • OISC is still conducting early detection surveys and removing both infested naio plants as well as landscaped naio that is not yet infested. Have a naio plant in your yard? OISC will replace it with an alternative native plant if you remove your naio BEFORE it gets infested. Our goal is to protect wild naio populations by removing landscaped naio so the thrips do not have harbors that allow them to move around the island. These wild naio plants provide important habitat for native seabirds, forest birds, bees, and other fauna. Report naio plants to OISC along with photos if possible. E: oisc@hawaii.edu P: 808-266-7994.
• Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships (HAWP)
  • Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
    Topic: Biocontrol Updates with Tracy Johnson
    Time: May 12, 2020 11:30 AM Hawaii
    Join Zoom Meeting
    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89839399918?pwd=elBLTGRwdWdTbXVxWmxLbVgyOC8xUT09
    Meeting ID: 898 3939 9918
  • Please contact: Shelley Gustafson, Outreach and Education Specialist, HAWP, at: shelley.gustafson@hawaii.edu for the password to join the meeting.

• The HISC is planning to have a meeting on May 20, 1-4pm, via Zoom, with a YouTube livestream option for public viewing. An official agenda will be sent out ahead of the meeting using the HISC email list. You can sign up for the email list at our website, hisc.hawaii.gov.
• Topics on the forthcoming agenda are likely to include:
  • Final review of the HISC & CGAPS 2025 Joint Strategy
  • Review of working group restructuring plan based on the new 2025 strategy
  • Presentation on aquatic biosecurity capacity needs relating to the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act
  • Presentation on potential biosecurity video projects
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• 643pest.org, 643-PEST app, or the 643-PEST (7378) telephone hotline.
• 643PEST.ORG online pest reporting system processed 142 reports during the January – April, 2020 period. Forty-two (42) unique species were identified. The statewide top 10 reported pests were: Jackson’s chameleon, coqui, oriental flower beetle, red-vented bulbul, little fire ant, feral cats, mongoose, gold dust day gecko, miconia, and greenhouse frogs. Little fire ant test kits were requested and mailed to three people. Questions? Comments? Interested in a 643pest.org presentation or training? Contact speith@hawaii.edu.
  • Graphs below: Number of Pests reported by island were:
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• The HISC Facebook page now has 1,119 followers. Please Like & Follow HISC on Facebook to receive updates from HISC news, posts from our website, and invasive species-related posts from our constituent agencies and partners.
• The HISC Brown Bag series continues! Check the link in the Upcoming Events section below for the next presentation dates & topics.

Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA) program

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  • Photo above: New Assessments: The HPWRA promotes responsible and informed planting choices by providing an objective, science-based and accurate method of assessing the invasive potential of plants being imported into and/or planted within the Hawaiian Islands. In the past two months, 5 new assessments and 16 revised assessments have been completed, bringing the current total of screened plant species to 2065. Of note was an assessment provided to a landscape contractor concerned about recommending potentially invasive plants to a client. 
  • WRA Presentation: Thanks to the wonders of Zoom technology, a pre-pandemic scheduled presentation on invasive plants and the weed risk assessment system was able to be given remotely to students of UH Hilo’s Conservation Biology class (BIOL 381) on April 20.
  • . All assessments can be accessed at the Plant Pono website: (https://plantpono.org/)

Upcoming events

• HISC Brown Bag: Stay tuned for the next Brown Bag presentations and see past presentations here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/category/brownbag/ 
  • Check out Brown Bag #31: A New Plants of Hawaii Website (Tim Gallaher, Herbarium Pacificum, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum) is now online on the HISC Facebook page <== Click the link!

• February 2020    NAISMA News The North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) supports, promotes, and empowers invasive species prevention and management across North America. The Early Detector is our monthly newsletter. Here's what's happening in the invasive species management community this month: Free Webinars during National Invasive Species Awareness Week     National Invasive Species Awareness Week is underway! NISAW raises awareness of how people can protect natural ecosystems for future generations by preventing the spread of invasive species. Our daily webinars answer your questions about chemical control, firewood movement regulations, aquatic invasive species legislation and more.   Sign up for Webinars This Week     If you'd like get daily emails from NISAW, sign up here. Emails are sent this week and May 16-23.