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On August 26th, 2024, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) field crew detected a small population of little fire ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) along Hāna Highway near the entrance of the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park. This finding follows the late May detection of little fire ants (LFA) at a county storage area on Waikaloa Road in Hāna. The ants likely spread via contaminated road fill to Kīpahulu within the last year. The infestation appears to be confined to approximately two-thirds of an acre, less than half a soccer field.

This new discovery resulted from a MISC trace-forward effort, which involves looking to see where the ants might have been moved. “Little fire ants are notorious hitchhikers,” says Brooke Mahnken, who coordinates the LFA project for MISC, “and they’re easy to miss until someone gets stung, which is how the Waikaloa Road infestation was discovered.” The MISC team has been working closely with Maui County ever since the ants were first detected in Hāna. “Maui County has been completely supportive of control efforts,” Mahnken says. “They brought in heavy equipment to open up access for treatment and have followed all recommended protocols to prevent further spread.” Several ground treatments at Waikaloa Road site have already occurred— including all the fill piles—and the first full-site treatment by helicopter is scheduled for September 23.

As part of the trace-forward investigation, MISC crews are surveying areas where fill from Waikaloa was used—from Honomanū to Ulupalakua. So far, crews have not found little fire ants during surveys in Honomanū, Keʻanae, and Wailua. No LFA have been found at the Hāna landfill.

Little fire ants are one of the most destructive invasive species in Hawai‘i. Known for forming ‘supercolonies’ that outcompete native insects and displace animals, they are a serious environmental threat. Infestations jeopardize agriculture, can blind pets with their stings, and prevent enjoyment of outdoor spaces including backyards, beaches, and trails.

Community reports are vital in stopping LFA; the vast majority (18 of 25) of detections on Maui were thanks to the public. MISC works closely with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Hawaiʻi Ant Lab to eliminate LFA at the 25 sites discovered across Maui. Ten sites remain under active control but 15 are either eradicated or in the final monitoring phase. Innovative methods – including treatment by helicopter– are proving successful and will now be used in Waikaloa.

Funding from the County of Maui and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council has supported eradication efforts, but Mahnken is concerned about recent trends. “Consistent, repeat treatments are needed for eradication. If we fall behind, everything takes longer, increasing the likelihood that the ants will move to new locations.” The key to keeping LFA from becoming established is finding them early and he urges the public to keep reporting stinging ants.

If you are stung by ants outside or in your home, report through 643PEST.org. For more information, visit stoptheant.org.

The Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) is a grant-funded project of the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, working to contain or eradicate high-threat invasive species across Maui County. Learn more at mauiinvasive.org.

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Date: Saturday, May 4th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Location: Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center

Join us for an informational and interactive community workshop about the threat of the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) on Maui. Hosted by the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) in partnership with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture (UH-CTAHR), this event will provide essential knowledge and resources to combat the spread of this invasive species.

Learn about the impact of CRB infestations and discover how you can contribute to citizen science efforts to detect and prevent its spread. 

Workshop Highlights:

• Understanding the threat of coconut rhinoceros beetles
• Learning detection methods and prevention techniques
• Distribution of CRB detection traps for eligible households
• Presentations at 11:00 a.m., 12:00 a.m., and 1:00 pm on what you can do to stop the spread of CRB

Pre-registration:

If you are interested in taking home a CRB detection trap, we encourage you to pre-register. Please visit Workshop Registration Form

If you suspect CRB presence in your area, report it immediately with photos and/or videos to the 643PEST.org online reporting system or by phone at 643-PEST (7378). Keeping specimens of beetles or larvae for identification is crucial in early detection efforts.

Together, we can protect our coconuts!

• Mahalo nui to our partners!
• Hawaii Department of Agriculture
• Maui Department of Agriculture
• Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
• CRB Response
• 643PEST.org
• University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture

The Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS), program staff from the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC), and the five Invasive Species Committees (ISCs) in Hawaiʻi are urging vigilance by contractors and landowners to prevent the accidental spread of invasive species.

To support these efforts, CGAPS, HISC support staff, and the ISCs have compiled a list of best management practices (BMPs) for coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), little fire ants, and other species.

This appeal comes at a time when the urgent need to address impacts from the Maui fires may increase the introduction of infested materials from off-island, and CRB has been detected on both Maui and Kauaʻi.

The proposed reissuance of an emergency quarantine measure, Plant Quarantine Interim Rule 22-1, which restricts the movement of mulch and other potential CRB host materials from Oʻahu, is an important step, but by itself will not be adequate to the spread of this harmful pest. Contractors and individuals need to be sure that pests are not unwittingly moved in palm trees, green waste, mulch, loose or bagged compost, bagged soils, and similar items.

Throughout the state, the continued spread of pests poses significant risks:

• Kauaʻi: The recent arrival of the coconut rhinoceros beetle pest to Kaua’i (detected May 31, 2023) highlights the threat posed by the movement of infested material. A decade of research on controlling the pest could lead to eradication on Kaua’i, but limiting the human-vectored spread is critical to achieving this goal.  
• O’ahu: Continued human-vectored spread will exacerbate the challenges in addressing this pest.
• Maui County: with the increased volume of material moved to and around Maui to help with fire recovery efforts (including mulch and imported coconut coir, mulch, or greenwaste for use in erosion control sock filler), mulch and compost for restoring burn scars, and plants for restoration, there’s an increased risk of introducing invasive species.
• Hawai’i Island: To date, CRB have not been detected on Hawai’i Island. Should they arrive, they would likely spread quickly, given the low population density and plentiful habitat that could lead to challenges in detecting and eradicating the pest.

The BMPs highlight practices to prevent the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles, but also provide general guidelines for little fire ants, coqui frogs, two-lined spittle bug, and other invasive species.

For restoration projects, the BMPs provide guidance on fire risk assessments and non-invasive characteristics for selecting plants.  

For more information:

• List of Best Management Practices:https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/files/2023/09/BMPs-for-Invasive-Species-Prevention-091223.pdf
• Christy Martin, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, christym@rocketmail.com
• Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response: (808) 679-5244,info@crbhawaii.org
• Island-based Invasive Species Committees: https://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/
• Pacific Fire Exchange: Melissa Chimera, melissa@hawaiiwildfire.org

Nominations are now being accepted to honor invasive species prevention efforts within Maui County.  The Mālama i ka ‘Āina Award is presented annually to a landscaper, plant provider (retail and wholesale nurseries and garden shops), or commercial/agricultural property owner/manager to recognize their efforts to protect Maui County from invasive species.

The award is a cooperative effort of the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, the Maui Invasive Species Committee, and the County of Maui.

The winner will be announced on Saturday, November 4, at the Arbor Day Garden Expo and Hawaiian Tree Giveaway at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.  The winner will receive a plaque, a glass sculpture by artist Jupiter Nielsen, a one-year free membership with the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and local media recognition.

Nominators are requested to explain how the nominee’s activities or decisions have addressed the threat of pests on Maui through their industry. Past Mālama i ka ‘Āina Award recipients were recognized for meaningful efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species, including incorporating codes of conduct in business practices, educating the public and clients about invasive species, and encouraging the use of native species in landscape design. 

Nominations are due by Friday, September 15, 2023.

Self-nominations are welcome.  There is no fee associated with the award.  For more information, call 573-6472, or e-mailmiscpr@hawaii.edu.

For more information about the Arbor Day Garden Expo, visitwww.arbordayexpo.com.

Past Award Winners:

• 2022: Kevin Gavagan, Four Seasons Resort at Wailea
• 2021: Duane Sparkman, Westin Maui
• 2020: Mark Blietz, Northshore Tropicals
• 2019: Mikala Minn, Mahale Farms in Hana
• 2018: Anna Palomino, Hoʻolawa Farms & Horticulturalist with Plant Extinction Prevention Program
• 2017: Sara Tekula and Joseph Imhoff, Plant a Wish
• 2016: Tamara Sherrill, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
• 2015: Angela Kepler, Author of Bananas of the World, 
• 2014: Masako Cordray, Flower grower, vidoeographer
• 2013: Christina Chang, Lokelani Ohana
• 2012: Doug MacCleur, MacCleurʻs Tree Farm, Hailiimaile Pineapple Company
• 2011:Elaine Malina and Sarge McBride, Outdoor Circle, Landscapers
• 2010: Mach Fukada, Hawaii Department of Agriculture
• 2009: Ann Emmsley, University of Hawaii Maui College
• 2008: Native Nursery owners Jonathan Keyser and Ethan Romanchak 
• 2007: David and Martha Vockrodt Moran and the Friends of D.T. Fleming Arboretum
• 2006: William Jacintho
• 2005:  Nancy Snow, Nursery Manager of Kula Hardware and Nursery
• 2004: Arlene Taus 
• 2003: The Maui Tropical Plantation

Kevin Gavagan, Assistant Director of Engineering at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, is the 2022 recipient of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award. The award is given each year to recognize efforts in the landscape and agricultural community toward stopping the spread of invasive species in Maui County. The award is presented by the Maui Invasive Species Committee, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and the County of Maui.

Gavagan was raised on a carnation flower farm in Kula. At 12 years old, he was driving a tractor to help the family business. At 13, he obtained his pesticide applicator license, sitting in classes alongside experienced upcountry farmers decades his senior. He joined the Future Farmers of America in high school and studied agriculture at Maui Community College. With help from his parents and the Alu Like Native Hawaiian Scholarship Program, Gavagan earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1986.

After graduation, Gavagan worked on the University’s nitrogen-fixation project, the USDA, and some landscaping businesses. After jobs with a handful of hotels in landscape management, in 2001, he joined the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea managing the grounds and landscaping team.

His combined passion for horticulture and his Hawaiian culture sparked Gavagan to lead cultural garden tours at the resort for over two decades. A quiet and humble man at first introduction, a fire slowly builds, and he becomes animated talking about native plants. He is dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Hawaiian place names and moʻolelo (stories) of Wailea. Gavagan weaves cultural knowledge into his tour of the native and exotic plants on the resort grounds, and lights a spark in all who join him. He is creating a sense of place for guests and locals alike. “So much of the life of this land is buried in modern-day tourism and real estate activities,” Gavagan says, “When I do my tours, I try to expose people to the beautiful history of this place through the garden. I try to help them acquire a connection and respect for this wahi pana (sacred place)”.

In 2011, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts celebrated its 50-year anniversary. In celebration of the event, the international luxury hotel and resort company pledged to plant 10 million trees around the world. Maui was tasked to plant 10,000 trees. Gavagan reached out to the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC), and in their first year of the initiative, Four Seasons Resort Maui staff planted 2,000 native plants on Kahoʻolawe. Gavagan returns each year with volunteer hotel staff to plant more native plants, and his eyes light up when he talks about these trips. “We have long since eclipsed the original goal of 10,000 plantings and continue to volunteer to go there to help restore the island.” He says, “These trips are not only a way to give back in alignment with the mission of Four Seasons, but greatly enrich us all personally. Kahoʻolawe always gives more than we could ever give it.”

Gavagan’s nomination for the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award stems from his passion for horticulture, native plants, and Hawaiian culture, his leadership in helping to restore Kahoʻolawe, and the importance of preserving Hawaiian place names in Wailea.  He has affected not only the industry and community he works in but countless malihini (visitors) and kamaʻāina (locals) alike through sharing of his knowledge and skills, advocation for native plants in landscaping practices, perpetuating Hawaiian cultural values, and his commitment to maintaining a Hawaiian sense of place within Maui’s visitor industry.

The Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2022, as part of the Maui Arbor Day Garden Expo and Tree Giveaway held at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. The in-person event will feature home garden and tree care demonstrations by the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, cultural demonstrations and workshops, a “Hale ʻŌhiʻa” with games, prizes, and speakers revolving around the native ohia lehua, and a giveaway of more than 1,000 Hawaiian trees.

The award ceremony will feature a short mini-documentary about Kevin, filmed by videographer Spencer Hyde of Dgtl Film. The presenters include Allison Wright, President of the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, Allison Cleghorn, Maui County Environmental Coordinator, and Serena Fukushima, Public Relations and Education Specialist of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. This year’s commemorative plaque features a sculpture of a wiliwili flower by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen, modeled after Gavagan’s favorite tree on Kahoʻolawe.

More information on the Maui Arbor Day Garden Expo and Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award can be found atarbordayexpo.com.

Duane Sparkman, Chief Engineer at the Westin Maui Resort and Spa, is the 2021 recipient of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina award. The award is given each year to recognize the efforts in the landscape and agricultural community towards stopping the spread of invasive species in Maui County. The award is presented by the Maui Invasive Species Committee, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and the County of Maui.

With his roots in landscaping, Sparkman worked his way up to become part-owner of a large landscape company that maintained 65 acres of resorts along Maui’s coastlines before coming on board with the Maui Westin Resort and Spa. Along with his day job, Sparkman has pursued his passion of learning about Maui’s unique environment. He has volunteered with over a dozen conservation organizations, removing invasive species and planting endangered plants in some of Maui’s most pristine places. In 2012, he worked at Haleakalā National Park with their resource management team, which drastically changed his view of landscape maintenance.

Through his experience, Sparkman came to a realization: “If I don’t have to fertilize a native forest, why do I need to fertilize urban landscapes?” He then proceeded to transform the landscape practices at the Maui Westin Resort and Spa’s 12-acre oceanfront resort to organic practices.

Additionally, Sparkman sits on the board of directors of Maui Cultural Lands as their botanist and is the project manager for a 72-acre Hawaiian cultural reserve called Kīpuka ʻOlowalu. He also has a consulting company called Edaphic Perspective, where he assists homeowners, landowners and municipalities transition to organic landscape practices, and has recently partnered with the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council to assist them with their organic land management division

Sparkman’s nomination stems from his passion in seeing thriving and healthy ecosystems from mauka to makai. He has affected not only the industry he works in, but countless other organizations throughout Maui, by sharing his knowledge and skills with community members, respecting and promoting Hawaiian culture and practices, working with local non-profit organizations, and continuing to improve sustainable landscape practices within Hawaii’s resort industry.

Due to Covid-19, the award was presented in a small, socially distanced award ceremony in West Maui and filmed by videographer Spencer Hyde of Dgtl Film. The presenters included Allison Wright, President of the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and Adam Radford, Manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. This year’s commemorative plaque featured a sculpture of a Maui Parrotbill perched on a koa branch by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen. The Mālama i ka ʻĀina award is a part of the 2021 Maui Arbor Day Garden Expo and Tree Giveaway held November 2-6. This year, local experts will offer tree and plant care lectures and webinars and the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens will host a nursery open house in addition to giving away more than 1,000 Hawaiian trees. More information on Arbor Day can be found at arbordayexpo.com, and the short film can be found at mauiinvasive.org/MIKA.

In late August, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) received a report of stinging ants in Haʻikū, via the Statewide Pest Hotline, 643pest.org. The community member reported painful stings from tiny, red ants inside the home. MISC staff visited the site, confirmed the presence of little fire ants (LFA), and began conducting surveys in the neighborhood on August 29th. The MISC team estimates the infestation to include approximately four-to-six acres and will finish mapping its extent before beginning control treatments.

Little fire ants are native to South and Central America and are thought to have arrived in Hawaiʻi in the late 1990s. The ants are tiny – only as long as a penny is thick. They form supercolonies with multiple queens, blanket landscapes, and outcompete most other insects in the area, both native and non-native. Elsewhere in the world, little fire ants have had devastating impacts on native biodiversity.

The ants live in moist, shady environments on the ground and in trees. Typically, people first experience little fire ant stings on the neck or arms; the ants are easily dislodged from trees or branches, falling onto whomever passes below. These painful stings can cause hikers, farmers, and hunters to abandon areas where LFA become well established. When little fire ants invade yards and homes, they can blind pets and cause residents to move to avoid relentless stings.

Reports from community members have led to the detection of 13 of the 19 known infestations on Maui. Once detected, each infestation is treated for approximately one year, then monitored to ensure elimination. The new infestation in Haʻikū will make eight little fire ant sites on Maui under active treatment. Six sites are in the monitoring phase (ants not currently detected), and five have been eradicated. Maui’s largest little fire ant infestation in Nāhiku has shown promising results: 95% of the samples collected in last year’s survey efforts were empty, indicating that the treatment of this 175-acre site is working. A comprehensive survey will take place later this month to further gauge progress.

“Community reports of stinging ants are critical in preventing little fire ants from becoming established on Maui,” says Teya Penniman, MISC Acting Manager. “It’s our best hope for early detection. Calling MISC or using the 643-PEST reporting tool helps catch these invaders before they can spread further.”   

MISC recommends collecting ants in your yard for identification at least once per year and every time you purchase new materials such as mulch or nursery plants. It only takes a few minutes to test for LFA:

Smear a tiny bit of peanut butter (or mayonnaise if peanut allergies are a concern) on several thin strips of cardboard, and place them in shady places in your yard. After 45 minutes, collect the samples with ants, place them in a plastic bag labeled with your name, address, and contact information, and freeze for 24 hours to kill the ants. Mail them to your local Invasive Species Committee. On Maui, send them to MISC, P.O. Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768.

Funding from the County of Maui and the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council supports little fire ant detection and control efforts in Maui County. The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture inspects incoming plant materials and produce for invasive pests, preventing additional infestations, and partners with MISC on survey and control efforts.

Visit stoptheant.org to learn more about collecting ant samples and request a free ant collection kit. Contact MISC with concerns, questions, or reports at 808-573-6472 or miscants@hawaii.edu.  Reports can also be submitted through 643PEST.org.

The Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) is holding a teacher development workshop for K-12 teachers and environmental educators on October 6th and 7th, featuring the place-based Hōʻike o Haleakalā curriculum. The curriculum features multi-disciplinary science lessons rooted in Hawai’i and is designed to engage students in the study of the unique ecosystems of our islands. The classroom portion of the workshop will begin on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at the Maui Invasive Species Committee’s Baseyard at Old Maui High School. It will cover lessons from the curriculum’s Alpine/Aeolian, Rainforest, and Coastal Modules; engage participants in hands-on activities from the curriculum, and feature guest speakers from Haleakalā National Park, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi, and the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Participants will then attend a huakaʻi (field trip) to The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve the following day. Waikamoi Preserve is one of Hawaiʻi’s last remaining native ecosystems and provides an important sanctuary for hundreds of native Hawaiian plants and animals, many of which are endangered. The Preserve also protects part of the 100,000-acre East Maui Watershed, which provides 60 billion gallons of clean water annually to Maui’s residents, businesses, and agricultural community. Teacher workshop participants will embark on an educational guided hike on the Preserve’s boardwalk trail, which is only accessible by reservation for guided hikes, educational trips, and research opportunities.

The registration fee for the two-day workshop is $45.00. Lunch is provided on both days, and all participants will receive tools and resources after the workshop to use in their classrooms to help students learn more about Hawaii’s natural world.

To learn more and register,click this link. All registration forms, waivers, and registration fees must be received by September 14, 2022. For questions, please contact Serena Fukushima, MISC Public Relations and Education Specialist, at (808) 344-2756 or miscpr@hawaii.edu. 

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Maui conservation efforts featured in new BBC Studios Series, The Green Planet

In the summer of 2021, a BBC film crew journeyed into East Maui and The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve to film segments for a new series called the Green Planet. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the series explores the hidden worlds of plants. The final episode (which features Hawai’i conservation efforts) focuses on human’s complex relationships with plants. It looks at our reliance on them for the food we eat and the air we breathe and also how humans across the globe are finding new ways to help plants create a greener planet.

The Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) worked with the BBC to showcase efforts in combating invasive miconia in East Maui. Miconia, an ornamental plant from Central and South America, was introduced to Hawaiʻi in the 1970s. Its large purple and green leaves shade out other plants, while its shallow root systems and giant water drops increase erosion. In Tahiti, this purple plague inhabits over two-thirds of the island’s forests, contributing to the loss of native biodiversity.

MISC is working hard to ensure the same doesn’t happen here, and The Green Planet helps to tell its story to an international audience in its final episode called “Human Worlds.” MISC Public Relations and Education Specialist Serena Fukushima explains, “We need several tools to control miconia on Maui. Our staff controls miconia from the ground while also utilizing longline spraying and HBT in inaccessible areas.” HBT, or herbicide ballistic technology, is a technique developed by Dr. James Leary of UH-CTAHR that uses herbicide-filled paintballs and is featured in the episode. “Using helicopters, the trained team hovers next to a miconia plant on a cliff or hillside. They shoot the plant with the paintball, breaking the stem and allowing a small amount of herbicide to absorb into the tree, eventually killing it. This method reduces the amount of herbicide in the environment while removing the quick-spreading invasive plant.”
The BBC film crew spent a week on the ground with the MISC Hana Miconia Crew and in the air with HBT specialists to capture the multi-tiered efforts crews are taking to combat this invasive species. In The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve, the film crew follows Maui Nui Coordinator for the Plant Extinction Prevention Program, Hank Oppenheimer, who works to protect and perpetuate critically endangered native plant species.

A virtual episode screening will take place on Tuesday, July 26, from 2:00-3:30 p.m., allowing Hawaii residents to watch it first before its August 3rd release on PBS Hawaii and the PBS network. The screening is followed by a live question and answer panel featuring East Maui District Councilmember Shane Sinenci, MISC Operations Manager Adam Knox, Hana Miconia Crew Leader Aja Akuna, and Maui Nui Coordinator for the Plant Extinction Prevention Program, Hank Oppenheimer. Click hereto register for the screening and panel.

The Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) is holding a teacher development workshop for K-12 teachers and environmental educators on March 14 and 15 featuring the place-based Hōʻike o Haleakalā curriculum. The Hōʻike o Haleakalā curriculum is designed to engage students in the study of the unique ecosystems of Hawaii. The workshop is hybrid, allowing for virtual participation and an optional outdoor learning opportunity.

The virtual classroom workshop will take place on March 14 from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. and will cover lessons from the Coastal and Marine modules, have interactive activities adapted for remote and hybrid learning environments, and feature guest speakers from the East Maui Watershed Partnership and Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The first day of the workshop is open to educators across Hawaiʻi.

Maui-based participants that attend the March 14 workshop are invited to attend an outdoor field trip the following day, March 15, to the anchialine ponds at ʻĀhihi Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve. These biological gems are landlocked brackish ponds in the middle of Maui’s last lava flow and home to a native species of shrimp found nowhere else in the world. Registration is limited to 12 and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Jeff Bagshaw, Communications and Outreach Specialist with the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, will lead the hike. This field trip will supplement the lessons covered in the virtual workshop and connect educators to conservation professionals and resources. Lunch will be provided for all field trip participants.

The registration fee is $10.00 for one-day virtual attendees and $25.00 for two-day participants. All participants will receive tools and resources after the workshop to use in their classrooms to help students learn more about Hawaiʻi’s natural world.

To learn more and register, visitmauiinvasive.org/workshops. All registration forms and payments must be received by March 8, 2022. For questions, please contact Serena Fukushima, MISC Public Relations and Education Specialist, at (808) 344-2756 ormiscpr@hawaii.edu.