(HILO) – In a steady rain you hear the chorus of native Hawaiian birds. Jackson Bauer, with the DLNR Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program, identifies the sing-song chirp of the ‘ōma’o and then the ‘elepaio, calling its own name. Such are the sounds of the native forest along the new Kaulana Manu Nature Trail on Hawai‘i island. Add in the natural beauty of ‘ōhi‘a and koa trees, and an intact profusion of native plants, shrubs and insects -- one even known as the happy-face spider -- and it lives up to its billing as a nature lovers paradise.
Forestry & Wildlife
(LIHU‘E)— To reduce the risk of fires in the Pu‘u Ka Pele Forest Reserve on Kaua‘i, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife ( DOFAW) is proposing forest thinning and fire break maintenance. Community members are invited to provide input on the proposed efforts via a virtual public meeting. This meeting will be at 9:00am on December 1, 2020. In addition to gathering people’s input, this meeting is intended to address questions or concerns regarding this project.
(Honolulu) – A roughly 1,260-acre parcel in Waiea, on Hawai‘i island is being proposed as an addition to the Hawai‘i Natural Area Reserve (NAR) System. The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will hold a virtual hearing at 6:00 p.m. on November 30, 2020 to receive community testimony about this proposal. The area is contiguous to other land parcels that are under management for forest, wildlife, and water conservation, and its addition would strengthen native ecosystem protection in the South Kona area.
(Honolulu) – While organizers always hope for more people to participate, experience has shown that the first meeting of community members, experts, and researchers, to discuss wildfire, always leads to good things.
(Honolulu) - The COVID-19 pandemic is providing the opportunity for ‘ōhi‘a lovers across Hawai‘i to participate in the annual ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest, which previously has been held as an in-person event in Hilo. Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Hawai‘i’s most abundant tree, ‘ōhi‘a lehua, during this week-long virtual event.
(O‘ahu) – The first step toward a community proactively protecting itself from wildfire is the development of a wildfire protection plan. People on O‘ahu’s North Shore have an opportunity on November 14 to attend a virtual workshop to begin the development of a North Shore Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
(Honolulu) - Although 2020 has no doubt been a challenging year, the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program (part of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife) and their partners are committed to continue the state’s annual tradition of planting and giving away trees in their 115th year celebrating Arbor Day Hawaiʻi.
(LIHU'E) – The annual E Ho‘opomaika‘i ‘ia na Manu ‘A‘o (A Cultural Release of the Native Newell’s Shearwater) event was not slowed down by the Covid-19 crisis this year. Instead of having school children attending, the ceremony was filmed instead so that a wider audience could view it virtually.
(Honolulu) - The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announces the opening of the 2020-2021 Game Bird Hunting Season on Saturday, November 7, 2020. The fall game bird hunting season will run through Sunday, January 31, 2021. To comply with federal mandates, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and to meet current state regulations, the last day for hunting mourning dove will be January 17, 2021. A valid hunting license and a game bird stamp are required for all game bird hunting on public and private lands.
(Honolulu) - Imagine a Day Without Water (Oct. 21) is a day to pause and reflect on the many ways that water and water systems impact our lives and communities, and to commit to ensuring a sustainable water future for generations to come. This year, our country faced an enormous public health crisis from the coronavirus pandemic. This crisis demonstrated the critical role that water, and wastewater systems play in our communities, protecting public health, safeguarding the environment, and making a healthy economy possible.