Believe it or not, 2020 has brought a little bit of good news for our native ohi’a! For the first time, researchers have shown that native ʻōhiʻa seedlings can survive for at least a year in areas that have active mortality from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. Researchers from USGS planted young trees in areas where mature trees had been heavily damaged by ROD, and at the end of the year, found that the saplings were still healthy and strong. They are continuing to monitor the plots, but this new information supports previous scientific observations that keiki ohi’a are able to sprout and thrive in ROD-impacted areas if they are not overwhelmed by invasive plants.

Plant an Ohi’a!

It’s a great time to purchase and plant young ohi’a that you can enjoy for years to come! Be careful to plant your ohi’a where it will be protected from damage by yard equipment, away from any utility lines, and in areas absent roaming goats or cattle (which can cause bark damage that allows the fungus to enter the tree). Download our Plant Pono Buyer’s Guide to learn where you can get your own ohi’a, or gift one to a special member of your ohana!

Ohi’a Love Fest 2020

In November 2020, BIISC was proud to be a partner in the Ohi’a Love Fest, an annual event that this year was held entirely online for the first time. We presented a new short video showing life behind-the-scenes with our Rapid Ohi’a Death early detection & response team. The team joined us after the showing for a live Q&A session online. You can view recordings of the many other great OLF workshops and sessions on the ROD Facebook page or when videos are made available on the ROD website.

Fresh cut pine trees from the mainland are a popular choice for holidays, even here in tropical Hawai’i – but imported live trees pose a serious risk to our islands. In past years (and even in 2020), snakes, wasps, and slugs have been  found in shipments of Christmas trees and other foliage used for holiday decorating.  A 2015 USDA study found that importation of live plant materials is the highest risk pathway for introduction of new pests and diseases to Hawaii. Pests that have come in recently, such as little fire ant, coqui frog, semi-slug, and more, were all introduced accidentally on imported plant material.

But, that could be good news for local folks who want to get into the Christmas tree-growing business. According to Hawaii-grown Christmas Tree Market Potential, a study funded by the DLNR and the US Forest Service, “In 2012 it was estimated that the total number of Christmas Trees sold in Hawai‘i was in excess of 190,000. Of these, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture estimates that 183,000 Christmas trees (96%) were imported.”

Dr. Sam Ohu Gon of The Nature Conservancy explains in the video below:

2. Call your local nursery and ask for locally grown alternatives.

Norfolk, Cook, and Monterey pines are all grown on the island, and can even be purchased in a pot to be used year after year before finally planting in your backyard.  Araucarias, a “tropical” pine,  grow well below 4000 feet. Cypress are a great substitute for pines, and won’t drop tons of needles!  There are many options available that won’t contribute to the importation of live plants.

3. Purchase an artificial tree

Artificial trees that can be used year after year, saving money for you while keeping the islands safe from invading pests. Learn more about the benefits of artificial trees. 

Have some land and a love of plants?  Consider growing Christmas Trees!

Are you a farmer or rancher looking to diversify a bit of your property and tap into a growing market with high demand? Our local tree growers sell out every season, and with this product, your customers will be all smiles! Check out this market analysis from DLNR on growing Christmas trees, and learn more about the research on tree species and growing from the Aina Mauna project at the Hawaii Forest Industry Association and the update from Dec 2019.

Let’s support local businesses and keep the holidays pest-free for Hawai’i!

While they are cute and cuddly, rabbits can also be a pest. In other places of the world, rabbits are notorious for their destruction of gardens, ranches, farms, and native habitats. Allowing rabbits to create a stable wild population can quickly escalate into a wide range of problems for Hawaii.

When rabbits were first introduced to Australia in the 1850s, they quickly spread across the entire continent. The first introduction started with only 13 rabbits, but today Australia has a population of over 200 million rabbits. They were the cause of the extinction of many ground dwelling mammals and plants in Australia. Besides just destroying crops, rabbits ring trees and eat any seedlings trying to sprout, causing loss of vegetation and soil erosion.

While rabbits make cute pets, they become a huge nuisance when they are released into the wild. Since 2016, more and more rabbits are being sighted on Hawaii island  – and we’re asking all of our residents to keep an eye out and report loose rabbit sightings.

It is not illegal to keep a pet rabbit in Hawaii as long as it is done properly. By law, rabbits must be kept in a hutch raised above the ground. They are great escape artists so keeping them fenced in on the ground is not good enough. Failure to keep pet rabbits in a secure raised hutch can lead to a fine. If you no longer want your pet rabbit, do not release it: your local animal shelter will accept and rehome pet rabbits.

How to Keep Your Rabbit

Loose rabbit in Puna

Female rabbits can start reproducing at 3 months old and can have six litters a year with up to 8 kits (baby rabbits) per litter. That’s a lot of rabbits. It’s easy to see how the population can get out of control very quickly. Rabbits aren’t native to Hawaii and can add further pressure to our already threatened ecosystems along with becoming an agricultural pest.

Download an informational rack card on keeping rabbits.

Keep your rabbits contained properly and alert us to any loose rabbit sightings!! 

Contact BIISC at biisc@hawaii.edu or (808) 933-3340 to report a loose rabbit. (Be as precise as possible with location, please!) On other islands, report loose rabbits to 643pest.org.

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 sites of previous known locations. 

Both species of pampas are on the state’s Noxious Weeds list. The South American plant was shipped around the world in the late 1800s, popular for the showy plumes used in fashion and decor. It grows in large clumps, with feathery white or lavender plumes growing up to 10 feet tall.  As people planted it across the Pacific, it slowly began jumping from planting sites and spreading out into natural areas, disrupting native ecosystems in places like New Zealand, California, and here in Hawaii. It is now widespread on Maui, and because it is adapted to fire in its native range poses a significant threat as a fuel for wildfires.

Eradication Efforts on the Big Island

When the Hawaii Island eradication effort began in 2007, the plant was mapped in over two dozen locations including several places in Volcano and on the West side of the island.  Although most of the adult plants were removed early in the eradication timeline, Joel Brunger, our field operations supervisor, points out the challenges of surveying for other pampas grass clumps near an adult plant: each grass clump is capable of producing thousands of lightweight seeds which are carried by the wind as far as 20 miles from the parent plant!

BIISC relied heavily on reports from the public about potential pampas sightings, carefully tracking down and identifying each plant to locate any previously undiscovered populations. Removal of the plants by BIISC crews took time, as permission from property owners was required for most of the sites. Locating and contacting property owners can pose a significant challenge for our control efforts, but overall most people were cooperative and eager to support the removal of an invasive plant from their property. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture assisted with securing access for removal of the noxious weed where permission was difficult to obtain. Finally, in 2019, the last known population of pampas was removed, and native mamaki was planted in its stead.  BIISC botanists continue to monitor the area to catch any keiki plants that may spring up.  

An Ongoing Risk

Despite the razor sharp leaves and potential for fueling wildfires, pampas grass is still sold throughout the world in the horticultural trade and used for landscaping. During the course of the eradication effort, BIISC developed the Plant Pono program, a nursery endorsement and education effort aimed at stopping the sale of invasive plants in Hawaii. Pono-endorsed nurseries voluntarily pledge to sell only non-invasive “pono” plants. There have been no sales of pampas grass in Hawaii for the last several years, although seeds purchased online continue to be a risk for introductions of invasive plants. 

If you spot an online seller promoting pampas grass and allowing shipment to Hawaii, pass the info along to us! Often, just informing a well-meaning grower outside of our state about the potential risks is enough for them to stop any shipment of the plant to the islands.

BIISC takes the lead on early detection and rapid response to new invasive plant species, which means our teams search for new species of plants on the island and target them for eradication when necessary and possible. Efforts to control many of our most notorious widespread invaders like miconia, albizia, or strawberry guava came too late, well past the time when it was economically possible to remove those species from the island. There is only a short window of time when an invasive species can feasibly be eradicated. Once that window has closed, control strategies switch to other efforts, like containment, or at the furthest point, exclusion only from high value areas.

Currently, BIISC is targeting several invasive plant species assessed to be within the “window of eradication.” These species are not yet widespread, and BIISC crews are working to remove them now so that they will not become the albizia or miconia of the future. Visit our target species page to become familiar with our target species, and be sure to report any new or strange plants you encounter!