We are in awe of the fortitude, patience, and commitment required of the teachers of 2020. BIISC is committed to helping teachers provide place-based, environmental education experiences for the students of the Big Island. Whether you are in the classroom, trying to manage a “hybrid” model, or negotiating multiple platforms to bring your students the… Read More…
BIISC is happy to share some good news: one of the most notorious invasive grasses in Hawaii, pampas grass, has been eradicated from the Big Island! Both species of pampas grass known to occur in Hawaii, Cortaderia jubata and Cortaderia selloana, have been removed, and monitoring continues for any keiki that might appear at the… Read More…
Researchers are asking for the public’s assistance in preventing the spread of an invasive insect destroying grasses in West Hawaii. The Two-Lined Spittle Bug (TLSB) was discovered in Kona late 2016, when a rancher in upper-elevation Hualalai first reported widespread die-off of pastures. Initial surveys found nearly 2000 acres were already affected. If you see… Read More…
In August 2019, a resident from Puna submitted logs to the state Department of Agriculture office in Hilo. Those logs were the remains of a moringa tree, another victim to the voracious appetite of an Acalolepta aesthetica, which has come to be known locally as the Queensland Longhorn Beetle (QLB). On that morning, HDOA entomologist… Read More…
The Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) is a project of the University of Hawaii Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit. The Committee is a voluntary partnership of government, private and non-profit organizations, and concerned individuals working to address invasive species issues on the island of Hawaii.
