2018 Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Month

 

FEBRUARY 2018

The State of Hawaii is hosting the 1st annual Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Month (HISAM) for the month of February 2018. HISAM is an expansion on the past 5 years of hosting the Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Week and is organized in coordination with the U.S. National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) and regional Pacific Invasive Species Awareness efforts. HISAM seeks to promote information sharing and public engagement in what the Hawaii State Legislature has declared “the single greatest threat to Hawaii’s economy and natural environment and to the health and lifestyle of Hawaii’s people.”

 

CHECK OUT THE EVENTS LIST AND GET INVOLVED: MORE INFO HERE

 

6th Annual HISC Awards

Recognizing individuals and groups for their outstanding service to Hawaii in the fight against invasive species.

Award Categories :  

  • Business Leader: Recognizes an individual in the private sector or a business that has demonstrated leadership in their role of protecting Hawaii from invasive species.

    • The Hawaii Invasive Species Council recognizes Pūlama Lānaʻi Natural Resource Program for their efforts to minimize the introduction of invasive species to Lanaʻi.

       Since starting the Natural Resources Program in 2015, Pūlama Lānaʻi has taken biosecurity of the island extremely seriously, and ensured in-house funding and technical capacity for shipment inspections and implementing a rigorous approach to early detection and rapid response. Additionally, Pūlama Lānaʻi has taken significant action to protect their threatened and endangered species from the threat of invasive predators. As a private landowner, their leadership in implementing these measures wholly in house is a much valued and needed step for the conservation of native species and ecosystems in Hawaii

  • Community Hero: Recognizes a community member or community-based group that has been a shining example of dedication to prevent and/or manage invasive species.

    • The Hawaii Invasive Species Council recognizes Bob and Pam Warren for their ongoing efforts related to the planning and removal of the invasive algae in Kilauea stream on Kauai.

      Bob and Pam have organized and led volunteer based efforts to remove invasive Salvinia molesta from the Kilauea stream. They have utilizing their own boat and property to make these events happen to help keep the Salvinia from spreading even more in the short term. In the long term, Bob and Pam have worked closely with many local organizations including Hawaii DLNR/DAR, Kauai Invasive Species Council, and Kilauea Agricultural Park to focus on a viable solution to permanently ridding the Kilauea Stream of Salvinia. Their efforts have been greatly appreciated and are ongoing to this day.

  • Greatest Hit: Recognizes an individual, organization, or agency responsible for one of the major invasive species highlights in the areas of research, prevention, control, and/or public outreach.

    • The Hawaii Invasive Species Council recognizes Tyler Bogardus for his efforts to protect endangered species from invasive rodents on the Island of Oʻahu.

      Tyler has diligently worked with the U.S. Army protect endangered species on Oʻahu by controlling invasive rodents. His accomplishments include both a successful aerial application of rodent bate at a landscape-scale as well as modernizing outdated trapping practices by replacing traditional snap traps in the Waianae and Ko’olau mountains with modern self-resetting traps. Impacts of such projects greatly improve and provide longer lasting protection to multiple species on Oʻahu.

  • Island MVPs: Four awards will be given in this category and are selected by the various Island Invasive Species Committee to recognize an individual or group that has made substantial contributions towards advancing invasive species management in Hawaii.
    • Hawaii County MVP

      • The Hawai’i Invasive Species Council recognizes Franny Kinslow Brewer for her dedication to educating the public about invasive species issues on the island of Hawaii.

        Franny Brewer is an outstanding public outreach specialist. Her ability to organize events in a way that provides a meaningful learning experience for attendees is exceptional.  Her expansive knowledge regarding the sources and control options for the many invasive species in Hawaii County provides a great resource for communities engaged in addressing these problems.  She manages to provide a positive message in the workshops she organizes such that the public is inspired to tackle the problem and the private and public sector can get a handle on some of the worst invasive species we face on the Big Island.

    • Maui County MVP

      • The Hawaii Invasive Species Council recognizes William “Butch” Haase of the Molokai Land Trust for his excellent work on Molokai removing invasive species and restoring habitat.

        Butch is the current and founding Executive Director for Molokai Land Trust, where he has worked for the past 9.5 years.  He has worked on Molokai removing invasive species and restoring native ecosystems since 1995.  At the Land Trust he oversaw permanent protection of nearly 2,000 acres and five miles of shoreline on the Trust’s Mokio and Kawaikapu Preserves.  Butch is currently working with US Fish and Wildlife Service and American Bird Conservancy on an 85 acre Predator Proof Fence project on the Trust’s Mokio Preserve to protect ground nesting seabirds, native pollinators and rare plant communities from invasive predators. As a member of the USDA NRCS State Technical Advisory Committee, Hawaii State Legacy Lands Conservation Commission, Molokai Invasive Species Committee, East Molokai Watershed Partnership, and other organizations on Molokai, Butch’s work has broad, long-term impacts on the biosecurity of Molokai.  

    • Oahu MVP

      • The Hawaii Invasive Species Council recognizes the Honolulu Board of Water Supply for their efforts to include watershed protection as key component of their Water Master Plan and Watershed Management Plans.

        The Board of Water Supply has made watershed protection a key component of their Water Master Plan and Watershed Management Plans. They recognize the connection between healthy forests and a healthy water supply and have supported the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee and the Koʻolau Mountain Watershed Partnership with funds to remove invasive plants that would harm the forest’s ability to restore water to the aquifer. BWS employees volunteered their time to help pull invasive plants before OISC was founded in 2001 and have been a key partner since. BWS is a model for how Oʻahu landowners can work together to achieve island-wide eradication of the watershed’s most damaging plants. 

    • Kauai County MVP

      • The Hawaii Invasive Species Council recognizes Kelsey Brock for her efforts to develop a comprehensive Prioritization and Feasibility of Control assessment tool for new and current KISC eradication targets.

        Kelsey was KISC’s first Early Detection Botanist and has diligently worked to develop a comprehensive Prioritization and Feasibility of Control assessment tool for new potential KISC eradication targets. Additionally, she has made numerous discoveries that resulted in new island and new State plant naturalization records. Combined with her assessment tools and survey methodology, Kelsey was able to make huge advancements in moving towards a more science-based approach to invasive plant early detection and eradication efforts on Kauai and creating a model that can be replicated Statewide.

  • Hottest Pest Report: Recognizes an individual who reported a high-profile invasive species to the 643pest invasive species reporting system.
    • No award was presented in this category this year, as the Hawaii Department of Agriculture reported no new high-profile invasive species detections in 2017.