Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

Press Release: Nominations Now Accepted to Honor Invasive Species Prevention Efforts Within Maui County

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PĀʻIA – Nominations are now being accepted to honor invasive species prevention efforts within Maui County. The Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award has been presented annually since 2003 to a landscaper, plant provider (retail and/or wholesale nurseries and garden shops), or commercial/agricultural property in recognition of their efforts to keep invasive species out of Maui County. The County of Maui, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and the Maui Invasive Species Committee sponsor and present the award.

The winner will be announced at the Arbor Day Garden Expo and Hawaiian Tree Giveaway, a multi-day event from November 2-6 that includes tree and plant care lectures and webinars, a local nursery open house, and a giveaway of more than 1,000 Hawaiian trees. The winner will receive a plaque, a glass sculpture of a native species 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 ʻĀina 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.

The nomination form can be found at www.mauiinvasive.org/MIKA and is due by Friday, October 15, 2021. Self-nominations are welcome. 

Questions about the award and nomination form may be directed to MISC Public Relations and Education Specialist, Serena Fukushima, at (808) 344-2756 or miscpr@hawaii.edu. For more information on the Arbor Day Garden Expo and Hawaiian Tree Giveaway, visit www.arbordayexpo.com

The Mālama i ka ʻĀina award is sponsored and presented by the County of Maui (Makaleʻa Ane -R), the Maui Invasive Species Committee (Adam Radford- 2nd left), and the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals (Allison Wright- L). Also pictured is the 2020 recipient, Mark Mark Blietz, being presented the award by Adam Radford during a small ceremony at his Haʻikū nursery. Photo: MISC
Mark Blietz, owner of Northshore Tropicals in Haiku, was the 2020 recipient of the Malama i ka Aina Award. Photo: MISC

The 2020 award featured a plaque and a glass sculpture of native Hawaiian sandalwood, or ʻiliahi, by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen. Photo: MISC

Date: September 24, 2021

Subject: Nominations Now Accepted to Honor Invasive Species Prevention Efforts
within Maui County

Contact: Serena Fukushima, Public Relations & Education Specialist
Maui Invasive Species Committee
PH: (808) 344-2756
Email: miscpr@hawaii.edu

Evolutionary oddities: giant flightless ducks roamed Maui, grazing like buffalo and spreading seeds

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As tall as a toddler, the flightless moa-nalo lived in Hawaiʻi for over 3 million years.

For millennia, before humans ever set foot on Hawaiʻi, birds ruled the islands. From mountain top to shoreline, the feathered filled the forests, grasslands, wetlands, and shorelines. As the predominant animal of islands that lacked the land-dwelling reptiles (only sea turtles) and mammals (only bats) found elsewhere, birds adapted to fill a range of ecological roles. They were pollinators, predators and scavengers, seed dispersers, fertilizers, and even the grazers on the landscape shaping the ecology and being shaped by geography and isolation.

Take the moa-nalo or “lost fowl,” named as they are only known from fossils found in caves and dunes. Moa-nalo are a group of flightless birds that lived in Hawaiʻi for over 3 million years until humans arrived. They had large massive turtle-like beaks, complete with teeth. Some species were as tall as a toddler and weighed up to 15 pounds. Forest dwellers, they were the grazers of the landscape, like the buffalo or deer of the mainland, they used their oversized beaks to tear at leaves and spent their lives munching the understory plants and ferns. 

Moa-nalo wandered the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui Nui but are not known from Hawaiʻi Island. On Maui, there are two species known from fossils found in caves: the Maui-Nui moa-nalo, the largest species in the Islands, and the Stumbling moa-nalo, a species that lived in the mountains

The ancestors of the moa-nalo were dabbling ducks (ducks that feed on the surface of freshwater) that colonized the islands around 3.6 million years ago. At that time, the island of Oʻahu was the youngest in the chain, with Maui Nui and Hawaiʻi Island yet to be formed. As the Pacific Plate moved northwest, Maui Nui – first Molokai, then Lanaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, and then Maui began forming. Exactly when and how giant flightless ducks reached Maui Nui, or whether they evolved to be flightless after they arrived is unknown. At that time, sea level was lower and wetlands were prominent on the landscape of Maui Nui, attracting birds as they do today. Flightlessness could have been an advantage for the ancient birds, transferring energy reserves from powering wings to walking to take advantage of a plentiful plant resource, underutilized as there were no other grazing animals around.

Though most plants in Hawaiʻi do not have thorns, many species of Cyanea (hāhā) like this Cyanea duvalliorum from Makawao Forest Reserve bear formidable-looking defenses. Scientists suspect that the presence of moa-nalo influenced the evolution of these plants’ defenses. Birds have been a critical force in shaping the ecology of the Hawaiian Islands. Photo courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr

Many of the plants that are endemic to Hawaiʻi (found here and nowhere else) lack the chemicals and thorns that their ancestors may have had to deter grazing animals – take for example the ʻākala, the Hawaiian raspberry, with only hair-like thorns when compared to a related invasive blackberry. But giant grazing ducks may have spurred some plants to defend themselves. Thirteen of the 20 species of hāhā (Cyanea) native to the islands have prickly fern-like leaves, though only when the plants are young and within about four feet of the ground – the reach of the moa-nalo. As the plants grow taller and out of the reach of the grazers, the leaves are full and spineless.

Though plants may have evolved defenses from moa-nalo, these oversized flightless, ground-nesting birds were one of the first species to disappear when humans reached the islands – likely as meals for humans and the animals that came with them—rats, pigs, and dogs. The moa-nalo are among 77 species of Hawaiian birds that have become extinct in the last 700 years, thanks to invasive species, disease, and habitat loss.

There are still rare and unique bird species left in Hawaiʻi – forest birds, shorebirds, and seabirds that are both amazing in their own right and serve critical roles in ecosystem processes. Heroic efforts protect the remaining species. Here on Maui, many projects work to protect bird populations and nesting habitat through research and restoration. Among them are the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project, Maui Bird Conservation Center, Kanahā Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. If you would like to learn more about birds in Hawaiʻi and efforts to protect them, consider volunteering with one of these organizations.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on January 11, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Coqui Crew – September 2020

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From July through September, the coqui crew worked throughout Haʻikū on populations of frogs near the Kauhikoa Reservoir, the Five Corners area, Kaluanui, Kauhikoa Gulch, and West Kuiaha resulting in a dramatic reduction in coqui in these areas. Interns from American Conservation Experience helped tackle an outlying population near Pe‘ahi in Haʻikū.  The crew followed up on reports and removed frogs in Makawao and Huelo as well. Community reports help us to find these new frog populations. Please keep reporting!  mauiinvasive.org/coqui-frog/got-coqui/

Aja Early, formerly a coqui crew leader and currently part of the MISC miconia crew, captured a single calling frog in a kalo loʻi in Wailuaui near Keʻanae, protecting east Maui from coqui. Citric acid pipeline infrastructure improvements, habitat modification, and citric acid sprays are ongoing with dedicated and integrated training time to inform decisions made in the field by our newer members on the team. 

MISC’s coqui crew welcomed five new crew members in August bringing the coqui field crew to 14. In September, three more crew members started work bringing the crew to 17. The experienced staff, especially Darrell Aquino and Scott Winter, have done an excellent job of sharing their knowledge, experience, and perspectives with everyone on the team. In September, the MISC field crew was supplemented with 11 experienced field interns from A.C.E., American Conservation Experience. MISC is still looking for people who feel drawn to this type of work and we are currently accepting applications for field crew. Follow MISC on Facebook or Instagram for updates on these positions.

A system of PVC pipeline delivers citric throughout a gulch. Crew work along stations, plugging in fire hose and spraying the walls of the gulch.

Updates on other species here:

Plant Crew – September 2020
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death response: In response to community reports, Mike Ade collected two samples for possible Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death: one ...
Read More
Molokai/Maui Invasive Species Committee -September 2020
Removing upside-down jellyfish from Kaunakakai harbor sometimes takes partners, as when DLNR divers helped out several years ago. The Molokai ...
Read More
Coqui Crew – September 2020
From July through September, the coqui crew worked throughout Haʻikū on populations of frogs near the Kauhikoa Reservoir, the Five ...
Read More
Community Coqui Control Progam – September 2020
All four of the Haʻikū neighborhoods involved in the MISC Community Coqui Control Program held work weeks during August. One ...
Read More
Early Detection, Outreach, and Education – September 2020
Early Detection:No news is good news, at least from the early detection team. Forest and Kim Starr surveyed the Kahului ...
Read More
Little Fire Ant Crew – September 2020
Little fire ants can climb and so can our crew. Paul Moneymaker scales a steep hillside while surveying for little ...
Read More

All Updates

Community Coqui Control Progam – September 2020

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All four of the Haʻikū neighborhoods involved in the MISC Community Coqui Control Program held work weeks during August. One of the communities, Haʻikū Mauka, had record participation: the community worked together to treat half the properties in the neighborhood and collectively contributed 24 hours of effort helping each other remove coqui frogs. 

In the Lower Kokomo neighborhood, more residents learned how to operate the citric acid pipeline that is installed in their neighborhood gulch, further empowering them to keep the coqui frogs out of their backyards! 

Haʻikū residents work together to bring back quiet nights to their neighborhoods.

The MISC Community Coqui Control team held the first  Virtual Block Party with the Lower Kokomo neighborhood. MISC staff presented results of their neighborhood effort over the first year and discussed future plans for the program. The highlight was that the community reported hearing fewer coqui frogs in the neighborhood since the program began! MISC plans to hold Virtual Block Parties with each of the neighborhoods we currently work in before the end of the year. 

MISC will continue community spray weeks on a  6-week rotation through the fall. To further empower local residents to control coqui frogs in their own yards  MISC is offering small, in-person training sessions to learn how to use the equipment available from our community loan program. Community members with coqui frogs in their yards are encouraged to recruit a few neighbors and contact Susan (skfrett@hawaii.edu or 808-633-6646) to sign up for this training opportunity. Participants will learn how to use different sized sprayers, mix the correct percentage of citric acid solution, safely treat their yards and clean the equipment.  Any efforts that community members can take to control coqui frogs in their own yards frees up the MISC coqui crew to work in the gulches and other challenging locations.

September Updates on other species here:

Plant Crew – September 2020
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death response: In response to community reports, Mike Ade collected two samples for possible Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death: one ...
Read More
Molokai/Maui Invasive Species Committee -September 2020
Removing upside-down jellyfish from Kaunakakai harbor sometimes takes partners, as when DLNR divers helped out several years ago. The Molokai ...
Read More
Coqui Crew – September 2020
From July through September, the coqui crew worked throughout Haʻikū on populations of frogs near the Kauhikoa Reservoir, the Five ...
Read More
Community Coqui Control Progam – September 2020
All four of the Haʻikū neighborhoods involved in the MISC Community Coqui Control Program held work weeks during August. One ...
Read More
Early Detection, Outreach, and Education – September 2020
Early Detection:No news is good news, at least from the early detection team. Forest and Kim Starr surveyed the Kahului ...
Read More
Little Fire Ant Crew – September 2020
Little fire ants can climb and so can our crew. Paul Moneymaker scales a steep hillside while surveying for little ...
Read More

All Updates

Early Detection, Outreach, and Education – September 2020

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Early Detection:
No news is good news, at least from the early detection team. Forest and Kim Starr surveyed the Kahului Airport every two weeks as part of the Māmalu Poepoe Project, a statewide interagency collaboration to monitor ports of entry for invasive species.They check for coconut rhinoceros beetles, Africanized honey bees, and invasive ants like little fire ants and red imported fire ants. Fortunately, they did not find anything of concern. You can read more about the project here: Māmalu Poepoe Project Traps and Monitors for Invasive Pests.

Forest Starr surveying for naio thrips. Photo credit – Kim Starr

Additionally, the pair surveyed for but did not find any evidence of naio thrip, an invasive sap-sucking insect that attacks native naio plants. Find out how to help protect naio here: https://www.oahuisc.org/naio-thrips/

Outreach and Education:

During the late summer quarter, July through September, staff continued with virtual outreach and preparations for the fall. In August, outreach staff worked with the statewide team raising awareness around Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death to record a series of island-specific training on biosanitation (cleaning gear and equipment to remove invasive species). This training will be distributed by the ROD outreach team. 

MISC staff published an article in the Maui News on planting native plants to mitigate wildfire risk in July and the impact of rats on the loulu palm populations throughout Hawai’i in August. The featured article in September gave an overview of recent research on the impacts of miconia. These articles and others can be viewed here: Invasive Species Articles

Upcoming Events

Virtual and socially distancing events are in the works for October including Spot the Ant, Stop the Ant month, an awareness campaign for little fire ants, and two sessions as part of the Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training. October 13th features Jenni Learned from the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project and October 19th will highlight the work of Keahi Bustamente on endangered invertebrates. 

  • October (all month): Stop the Ant awareness month. The invasive species committees throughout the state are asking for your help in finding the little fire ant. Join in!: 
    • Follow and share on social media through MISC (Facebook and/or Instagram) and the Stop the Ant group (Facebook)
    • Collect ants from your yard and send them to MISC. All it takes is a little peanut butter and you can help find the ant before it finds you. For more information, visit: http://stoptheant.org/
  • October 16th: Deadline for nominations for the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award: This annual award, sponsored by the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, County of Maui, and MISC,  recognizes the proactive efforts of those in the landscape community in preventing the spread of invasive species on Maui County. Submit your nominations here: Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award
  • October 13 and  October 19: Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training. Learn more about ongoing conservation efforts in a virtual, socially distanced, online training. The core presentation covers the natural history of Hawai’i, the importance of the rainforest to the watershed, efforts to protect native birds, and invasive species threats. Guest presenters rotate; October 13th will be Jenni Learned from the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project October 19th will be Keahi Bustamente, a field biologist with the Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Forestry and Wildlife, specializing in native snails. If you are interested in attending one of these trainings, sign up today: mauimauka.org

September Updates on other species here:

Plant Crew – September 2020
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death response: In response to community reports, Mike Ade collected two samples for possible Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death: one ...
Read More
Molokai/Maui Invasive Species Committee -September 2020
Removing upside-down jellyfish from Kaunakakai harbor sometimes takes partners, as when DLNR divers helped out several years ago. The Molokai ...
Read More
Coqui Crew – September 2020
From July through September, the coqui crew worked throughout Haʻikū on populations of frogs near the Kauhikoa Reservoir, the Five ...
Read More
Community Coqui Control Progam – September 2020
All four of the Haʻikū neighborhoods involved in the MISC Community Coqui Control Program held work weeks during August. One ...
Read More
Early Detection, Outreach, and Education – September 2020
Early Detection:No news is good news, at least from the early detection team. Forest and Kim Starr surveyed the Kahului ...
Read More
Little Fire Ant Crew – September 2020
Little fire ants can climb and so can our crew. Paul Moneymaker scales a steep hillside while surveying for little ...
Read More

All Updates

Little Fire Ant Crew – September 2020

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Little fire ants can climb and so can our crew. Paul Moneymaker scales a steep hillside while surveying for little fire ants. MISC file photo

The community contacted us with 22 reports of suspected little fire ants since July and our crew continues to follow up on reports of stinging ants and survey new locations but, despite collective efforts to find them, no new infestations of little fire ants have been discovered on Maui . This allowed MISC’s LFA crew to focus on stamping out the handful of active infestations on the island and to continue their monitoring of the rest.  

In Happy Valley, there was only one positive sample out of 500 collected. This means the site moves into a spot treatment approach after one year of regular treatments. 

  

Nearly 7,000 vials baited with peanut butter were deployed over the past 90 days in our never-ending quest to seek out and destroy these unwelcome beasts.  On the Hāna side, crewmember Joe Brower keeps his experienced expert eye on things at the two infestations on that side of the island.  This includes the aerial work that continues at Nāhiku where the ninth such treatment is scheduled for mid-September. 

  • The view from the helicopter during a treatment of the LFA infestation in Nāhiku.

The Makawao-based crew led by Monte Tudor-Long, with Mikiʻala Puaʻa-Freitas, Betsy Black, and intern Paul Moneymaker, continue to execute the work at Maui’s two most recently discovered large sites: the 8+ acre infestations at Waiheʻe Valley and Twin Falls, with full-site treatments at both locations scheduled to wrap up in mid-October.  At that point, years of intensive monitoring will begin in order to ensure the ants are truly gone.  We are grateful to James Fleming and Raynette Inouye of the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture for their generous assistance at these and other LFA sites on Maui.  

Current status of infestations on Maui and date detected: 

October is the annual “Spot the Ant, Stop the Ant” campaign encouraging people to test around their homes for little fire ants. Follow the “Stop the Ant” page on Facebook and Instagram. Join in and submit ants from your yard: Collect and Submit Ants

Actively treating:

Nāhiku little fire ant treatments.
  1. Lahainaluna High School (2020)
  2. Twin Falls (2019)
  3. Waiheʻe Valley (2019)
  4. Happy Valley (2019)
  5. Kaʻelekū (2017)
  6. Nāhiku (2014)
  7. Huelo (2015)

Monitoring:

8. Kapalua Resort (2016)
9. Haʻikū (2015)
10. South Maui Nursery (2017)
11. South Maui Resort (2014)
12. Waiheʻe farm (2009)
16.  South Maui Nursery Hapuʻu (2014)

September Updates on other species here:

Plant Crew – September 2020
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death response: In response to community reports, Mike Ade collected two samples for possible Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death: one ...
Read More
Molokai/Maui Invasive Species Committee -September 2020
Removing upside-down jellyfish from Kaunakakai harbor sometimes takes partners, as when DLNR divers helped out several years ago. The Molokai ...
Read More
Coqui Crew – September 2020
From July through September, the coqui crew worked throughout Haʻikū on populations of frogs near the Kauhikoa Reservoir, the Five ...
Read More
Community Coqui Control Progam – September 2020
All four of the Haʻikū neighborhoods involved in the MISC Community Coqui Control Program held work weeks during August. One ...
Read More
Early Detection, Outreach, and Education – September 2020
Early Detection:No news is good news, at least from the early detection team. Forest and Kim Starr surveyed the Kahului ...
Read More
Little Fire Ant Crew – September 2020
Little fire ants can climb and so can our crew. Paul Moneymaker scales a steep hillside while surveying for little ...
Read More

All Updates

Hiring for Public Relations Specialist — Apply by 8/12

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Do you enjoy sharing your love of Hawaiʻi and inspiring others? Do you have a passion for learning and creative talent? Do you have experience with public relations, marketing, or outreach? Consider applying for the position of Public Relations and Education Specialist at the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC).

The MISC Public Relations and Education Specialist builds support for controlling invasive species throughout Maui County and Hawaiʻi. By working with insightful leaders within MISC and the state – in conservation, agriculture, education, and culture to name a few – the individual selected for this position will both contribute to and participate in developing strategy, messaging, and implementation of awareness and engagement campaigns for diverse audiences.  Clear communication skills are essential as responsibilities include dealing with media, tabling community events, maintaining an online presence through social media and websites, conducting presentations, writing articles and press releases, negotiating access to private property, facilitating meetings, and more. This is an excellent opportunity for a visionary person to help conservation initiatives succeed.

Find the full application below and apply online through the RCUH website.

  • Teachers at Hoike workshop

MISC PUBLIC RELATIONS & EDUCATION SPECIALIST – ID# 220352.  Maui Invasive Species Committee.  Regular, Full-Time RCUH Non-Civil Service position with the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU), Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) in Maui, Hawai‘i.  Continuation of employment is dependent upon program/operational needs, satisfactory work performance, availability of funds, and compliance with applicable Federal/State laws. 

MONTHLY SALARY:  Salary commensurate with qualifications. 

DUTIES:  Develops and maintains a positive public image for MISC operations. Develops and implements public relations (PR) and education program to raise public awareness about and generate support for MISC’s efforts to control invasive plants and animals. Coordinates and directs the MISC PR and Outreach team. Manages personnel on the outreach team and supervises Education/Outreach Program Associate, including scheduling and timekeeping, personnel evaluations, and making hiring decisions. Assumes responsibility for communicating MISC’s work and the importance of invasive species management to the community and partners. Negotiates access to public and private property for survey and control operations. Uses graphic design programs, creative writing, and artistic abilities to design original educational and public relations materials. Acts as primary contact for media inquiries and on social media. Maintains MISC websites and develops community engagement programs. Represents MISC at appropriate venues.  Creates and conducts presentations to community and school groups. Develops and maintains positive relationships with members of the local media, with MISC’s partners, and the public. Prepares reports on public relations activities and accomplishments. Plans outreach strategies and implements initiatives. Identifies funding opportunities as they arise through networking and participation in statewide working groups.   Drives project vehicles to access work sites and attend PR events. Must work on weekends, holidays, and occasionally evenings to attend community events. 

PRIMARY QUALIFICATIONS: EDUCATION/TRAINING:  Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four (4) year college or university. 

EXPERIENCE:  Three to five (3-5) years of experience in public relations or education related to natural resource management.  Experience must include at least one (1) year of experience producing public messages using different forms of media, including print, radio, video, website, and television. 

ABIL/KNOW/SKILLS:  Knowledgeable about Hawaiian biota and threats from incipient alien plant and animal invasions in Hawai‘i. Knowledge of identification and detection techniques for invasive species and familiarity with common native and introduced Hawaiian plants and animal species. Familiarity with community-based social marketing concepts and social media presence. Knowledge of website design and maintenance. Must possess excellent public speaking and interpersonal skills.  Strong writing and editing ability. Demonstrated ability to produce creative original content and outreach products. Excellent computer skills. Proficient in the use of basic computer programs, including word processing, desktop publishing, and web design software.  Ability to negotiate effectively with reluctant landowners.  Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, with a wide variety of publics. Ability to present information to individuals or groups.  Ability to think and act independently in the public eye while striving to present a positive public image for controversial activities.  Must possess a valid driver’s license (and if use of personal vehicle on the job is required, must also have valid personal driver’s insurance equivalent to Hawai‘i’s No-Fault Driver’s Insurance) and maintain throughout the duration of employment. 

PHYSICAL/MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS:  Ability to lift and carry at least 20 pounds. Ability to set-up exhibits/displays.

POLICY AND/OR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS:  As a condition of employment, employee will be subject to all applicable RCUH policies and procedures and, as applicable, subject to University of Hawai‘i’s and/or business entity’s policies and procedures.  Violation of RCUH’s, UH’s, or business entity’s policies and/or procedures or applicable State or Federal laws and/or regulations may lead to disciplinary action (including, but not limited to possible termination of employment, personal fines, civil and/or criminal penalties, etc.).  

SECONDARY QUALIFICATIONS:  Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four (4) year college or university or experience in Education, Journalism, Marketing, or related field.  Education in a natural resources management field or prior experience working in natural resources management.  Experience with outreach program(s) development. Knowledgeable about natural and cultural history in Hawai‘i. INQUIRIES: Adam Radford 264-9496 (Maui).

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Please go to www.rcuh.com and click on “Job Postings.” You must submit the following documents online to be considered for the position:
1) Cover Letter,
2) Resume,
3) Supervisory References,
4) Copy of Degree(s)/Transcript(s)/Certificate(s).

All online applications must be submitted/received by the closing date (11:59 P.M. Hawai‘i Standard Time/RCUH receipt time) as stated on the job posting. If you do not have access to our system and the closing date is imminent, you may send additional documents to rcuh_employment@rcuh.com. If you have questions on the application process and/or need assistance, please call (808) 956-7262 or (808) 956-0872. 

CLOSING DATE:  August 12, 2020. 

RCUH’s mission is to support and enhance research, development and training in Hawai‘i, with a focus on the University of Hawai‘i.

Equal Opportunities Employer – Minorities/Women/Disability/Veteran.

Removing invaders can help decrease damage from hurricanes

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Floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey spread living rafts of red imported fire ants in Texas. While Hawaiʻi does not have red imported fire ants, storms and floods can help to spread other species that are present such as the little fire ant. — BRAND KELLY / Wikimedia Commons photo.

Hurricane Harvey didn’t just bring floodwaters to Texas; it also spread a plague of stinging ants.

Red imported fire ants are highly aggressive pests that have invaded the southern United States. These ants are particularly adept at surviving floods – a strategy they developed in the wetlands of their native Brazil. When their nests become waterlogged they form rafts, clinging to each other to stay afloat as floodwaters carry them elsewhere. When they make landfall they set up a new home – but landfall for a floating anthill could be a paddle or a rescue skiff leaving the passengers battling swarms of stinging ants. After Hurricane Harvey, pictures of the rafting ants filled the news. Twice Hawaiʻi inspectors have intercepted these ants in shipments bound for the Aloha State, but as far as we know this painful plague has not yet established itself in the Islands.

Fire ants aren’t the only nuisance species spread by hurricane winds and associated flooding.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit Homestead, Florida. The intense winds flattened a reptile collector’s greenhouse, sending baby Burmese pythons flying through the air. Homestead borders Everglades National Park. While most of these airborne serpents probably died, scientists suspect some survived and likely reinforced the existing population of escaped reptiles. Pythons are now one of Floridaʻs biggest pests, both in size and impact. A full-grown python can be 20’ in length and these giants threaten the survival of the endangered Florida panther and other unique wildlife.

Resource managers in Hawaii are worried about a much smaller pest traveling on the winds of hurricanes and storms. Spores from the fungus responsible for Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, the disease that has killed ʻōhiʻa trees across 75,000 acres of forest on Hawaiʻi Island, is wind-dispersed. High winds can knock off branches and wound a ʻōhiʻa tree, opening up a site that’s vulnerable to infection—similar to how a wound on your skin exposes you to infection. Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death was recently discovered in Kohala in September of 2017, only 40 miles from Maui – easily within the distance of a windstorm. Resource managers are increasingly worried that Maui’s native forests could be next.

Albizia trees took a hit in 2014 when Tropical Storm Iselle made landfall on Hawaii island. The damage from these invasive trees falling on power lines and roads took weeks to clean up. — U.S. National Guard / Wikimedia Commons photo.

Intense storms can also damage an otherwise intact rainforest, rendering the forest ecosystem more vulnerable to invasive plants. Hurricanes and storms can fell big canopy trees, opening up a gap that gives a fast-growing invader the light and space it needs to get a foothold. Many of those invaders are shallow-rooted and conducive to landslides, exacerbating the problems hurricanes cause.

Exotic species and the altered forest that they form may not be able to weather the winds as well as an intact rain forest. Storm impacts are amplified as a result. In 2014, Tropical Storm Iselle struck areas of Hawaiʻi Island where albizia trees dominated the landscape. These invasive giants fell hard, taking down power lines and blocking roads. The clean-up took months; albizia became a poster child for invasive species problems.

The onset of climate change underscores the importance of bolstering the health of our rainforests. Tropical ocean temperatures are expected to increase and with that rise comes more intense storms and hurricanes. Considering widespread invasive plants established at lower elevations, increasing storms could lead to a cycle of increasing forest destruction which will lead to drastic changes in forest canopy structure and composition.

While we can’t control the weather, we do have control over the choices we make in our daily lives and the causes and programs we support. Efforts to eradicate or contain invasive species are important to help the rainforest retain resilience to storms and preserve our quality of life.

You can help by using non-invasive plants in your landscaping, plants that will not exploit the damage caused by tropical storms, and keeping an eye out for invasive species like fire ants. Avoid the temptation to plant fast-growing, exotic trees. Support organizations dedicated to protecting our islands from invasive species. For the long term, support policies and programs that will reduce our carbon footprint and promote sustainability. Our individual actions do make a difference—just about any effort is worth the trouble if we can avoid rafting ants and flying snakes.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on October 8th, 2017, as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles.

Coqui frogs negatively affect the environment in more ways than one

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Coqui have the perfect environment in Hawaiʻi, one that lacks the predators – lizards, tarantulas, and snakes- found in their native Puerto Rico. They reach densities two to three times greater in Hawaiʻi than in Puerto Rico, the densest population of land-living amphibian known anywhere. — Maui Invasive Species Committee photo.

In the dark, Darrel Aquino turns off the pump engine – the silence is a stark contrast to the noise of the gasoline motor, and before that, the piercing calls of the coqui frogs that met Aquino and his crew from the Maui Invasive Species Committee when they arrived hours earlier. They work together to pack up, rolling up fire hose by the light of headlamps before heading back to the baseyard. They’ll be back out tomorrow, and the night after, but in a different area of Haʻikū, as they work to stop the spread of the coqui frog.

From dusk to dawn males call for mates, “Co-qui, co-qui.” The first note, “Co,” lets their competition (other male frogs) know they are there, and the “qui” is for the girls. As loud as a lawnmower or leaf blower, the calls drown out the sounds of a night in Hawaiʻi: crickets, the night breeze rustling leaves, waves breaking along the coast. 

But while the ear-splitting call of this tiny tree frog is what they are famous for, problems with the coqui frog goes beyond noise. Like us, these invasive frogs from Puerto Rico also find our island habitat and climate to be paradise. Coqui in Hawaiʻi reach population densities greater than any terrestrial amphibian species elsewhere in the world. At over 20,000 frogs per acre in an environment that evolved without frogs, there is bound to be an impact.   

“Coqui in Hawaiʻi reach population densities greater than any terrestrial amphibian species elsewhere in the world. At over 20,000 frogs per acre in an environment that evolved without frogs, there is bound to be an impact.”

Dr. Karen Beard, a professor at Utah State University, and her students have studied coqui frogs in the Islands for more than a decade. The interactions between invasive species from different parts of the world coming together in a new environment can be hard to predict, but her research is finding that the presence of coqui in Hawaiʻi tends to benefit other introduced species – from invasive plants to non-native birds to mongoose.

Coqui frogs alter the way nutrients cycle in the ecosystem. The frogs feed on insects, mainly ants, roly-polies, cockroaches, and earthworms, but not mosquitos. What goes in must come out and hundreds of thousands of invasive frogs contribute additional nitrogen and phosphorus to the soil. Though these additions help plants grow, the increase really only benefits introduced plants. The flora native to the Hawaiian Islands is adapted for nutrient-poor volcanic soils, so by increasing soil nutrients, the coqui frogs modify conditions to favor invasive plants such as strawberry guava (native to Brazil).

Coqui frogs also bolster populations of non-native birds. Beard found that populations of some introduced songbirds, including common myna, Chinese hwamei, and red-billed leiothrix (all from Asia), are higher where coqui frogs are present. This is likely due to changes in the insect community when coqui are present (more excrement and frog bodies means more flies) as well as birds consuming the eggs in addition to juvenile and adult coqui.

Mongoose (from India) may also benefit from coqui. Beard’s graduate student Shane Hill looked at rat and mongoose densities where coqui are present compared to where they are absent and found greater mongoose abundance with coqui present. Mongoose are the main scavengers of coqui frogs, which may provide a novel food source. Hill also concluded that increased numbers of non-native birds or coqui-induced habitat changes could favor mongoose.

An invasive mongoose thriving off the abundance of the coqui frog population while increasing the likelihood of predation to other native Hawaiian species. — photo courtesy of Karen Beard

Hill’s study also showed fewer rats where coqui are present, more so for Pacific rats, which den underground as opposed to the more arboreal black rats. Hill and Beard suggest lower rat abundance could result from competition with coqui for insects or increased predation by mongoose. While the relationships are complex, one thing is clear: more mongoose is not good for ground-nesting birds, such as the ʻuaʻu kani (wedge-tailed shearwater) or endangered ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrel), and coqui could indirectly contribute to a decline in these birds.

Humans may adapt to the noise of coqui but the environment may be forever changed by their presence; interactions among these invasive frogs and other introduced pests tend to compound the impacts.  It’s critical to do what is possible to keep these invasive pests out of the native-dominated areas of Hawaiʻi and sensitive bird habitat.

You can help stop the spread of coqui on Maui. If you have coqui, volunteer in your neighborhood to reduce coqui and remove frog-friendly habitat. If you don’t have coqui in your area, stay alert to any nighttime “Co-qui” calls and report it to MISC at 573-6472.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on February 10th, 2019 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles.

Hiring full-time field crew positions protecting Maui’s quiet nights and the environment from invasive coqui frogs

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Are you ready to give back to your community and help protect our island from invasive species? Here is an opportunity to work outdoors and mālama the ʻāina.

The Maui Invasive Species Committee is hiring 15 full-time 4 to 5 -month temporary field positions for the coqui frog control crew. The typical work shift is from 1 pm to 11:30 pm, Monday through Thursday. Shifts may vary depending on operational needs.

The starting salary is $14.89/hour. Work involves mixing 50 lb bags of citric acid with water into solution, hiking in rough terrain while carrying fire hose to spray coqui frog infested areas, and maintaining detailed records of work including GPS tracks.

MISC will provide all necessary safety equipment and gear. To align with current Covid-19 distancing requirements, applicants may be asked to use their personal transportation to reach field worksites and will be reimbursed.

Applicants must have a current driver’s license, reliable personal transportation, vehicle insurance, and a high school diploma or GED equivalent. 

Applicants selected for the positions must be available on either July 6th or 8th to meet with human resources personnel.

To apply:

To be considered for a position, fill out this online form, and upload a resume with your work history and two professional references as well as a cover letter. Any questions about the application process can be sent to Adam Knox at knoxa@hawaii.edu. Resumes must be received by June 26th. 

Find a list of all current open positions: Careers at MISC

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Contact Us

Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
Office: (808) 573-6472
Press and Media Inquiries: (808) 344-2756
Mailing Address:
PO Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768

Manager: Adam Radford
E-mail:miscmgr@hawaii.edu

PR/Outreach: Serena Fukushima
E-mail:miscpr@hawaii.edu

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