The Hāna crew focused on protecting the East Maui Watershed by seeking out and removing miconia plants. A short-term crew assisted with work in East Maui. The additional crew of six brought the Hāna team to 12, the largest the crew has been in years. They focused on removing plants along roadways, including the Hāna Highway. Miconia seeds may be accidentally spread by passing cars or in soil along these corridors. Additionally, they worked to protect upper elevation watersheds and responded to new reports. Overall, the Hāna team removed more than 500 mature miconia plants and almost 9,000 immature plants across nearly 400 acres.
Hiking through the bushes searching for miconia is hard work with scenic views.
It wasn’t just reports of miconia that the crew followed up on – in December they received three coqui frog reports. Luckily, no coqui were found and the Hāna and Ke’anae community continue to be coqui-free. The Hāna miconia crew helped clear access trails for little fire ant work in the Ka’elekū area and Twin Falls. These trails allow staff to thoroughly survey for the evasive ant.
