Annual Invasive Species Week Highlights Top 10
By Maui Now Staff
This week marks the start of the 3rd Annual Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Week. In observance, state agencies and private partners working to rid the islands of these damaging species are highlighting 10 particularly bad offenders.
The list includes: little fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles, albizia trees, rats, mongoose, strawberry guava, coqui frogs, miconia, fireweed and invasive algae.
Lawmakers have declared invasive species as, “the single greatest threat to Hawaiʻi’s economy, natural environment and to the health and lifestyle of Hawaiʻi’s people.”
During the week-long observance, the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council and the state agencies charged with combating and controlling invasive species, will share information and work to raise awareness about how the public can help eliminate these pests from Hawaiʻi’s land and ocean.
Carty Chang, interim DLNR chairperson commented in a department press release saying, “The HISC aims to maintain a comprehensive overview of issues and implementation of state-wide invasive species prevention, and an early detection and control program for terrestrial and aquatic invaders. The focus is on programmatic and capacity shortfalls not currently addressed by state agencies.”
He continued saying, “It is hoped that the HISC-funded projects will be a testing ground for new methods and capacity to address invasive species; that over time will be adopted permanently by agencies, freeing up HISC resources to further promote innovation and address gaps in the overall effort to effectively manage invasive species.”
The Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Week concludes with Invasive Species Awareness Day at the State Capitol on March 2, 2015. During ceremonies that day, six people and five organizations or businesses will be honored for their work to help combat invasive species around the state.
Strawberry guava yellow fruit Maui. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Strawberry guava. Photo credit OISC.
Strawberry guava in monotypic forest. Photo credit OISC.
Strawberry guava red fruits on Maui. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Strawberry guava on Mauna Alani in Waiheʻe, Maui. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Koa tree vs Strawberry guava. Photo credit OISC.
Albizia. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Albizia on Maui. Photo credit Forest amd Kim Starr.
Albizia blocking road and down power lines post storm Feb 2014. Photo credit Rich Wlosinski-HELCO System Forester.
V engeli. Courtesy photo.
Urchins and Algae. Courtesy photo DLNR.
Urchin release. Photo courtesy DLNR.
Supersucker. Photo credit DLNR.
Invasive algae. Photo courtesy DLNR.
Bmutica. Photo courtesy DLNR.
Coqui in jar. Photo Credit OISC.
Coqui in jar. Photo Credit OISC.
Coqui frog. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Coqui frog. Photo credit HISC.
CRB palm damage hole. Photo credit CRB IC.
Pinned Female CRB. Photo Credit OSIC.
Adult CRB. Photo Credit OISC.
Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Grub. Photo credit CRB IC.
Fireweed in Makawao. Photo Credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Field of fireweed on Maui. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Little fire ants on pb chopstick. Photo credit HAL.
LFA Wasmannia auropunctata. Photo credt Eli Sarnat.
LFA Wasmannia auropunctata. Photo credt Eli Sarnat.
LFA Wasmannia auropunctata. Photo credt Eli Sarnat.
LFA on tree. Photo credit Cas Vanderwoude.
Miconia purple and green leaves. Photo Credit: Oahu Invasive Species Committee.
Miconia plant upper leaves view. Photo credit OISC.
Big Island ground swath 2006. Courtesy photo.
Mongoose on Maui. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
Mongoose on Maui. Photo credit Forest and Kim Starr.
KISC staff Pat Gmelin with first live mongoose captured on Kauai. Photo credit Keren Gundersen.
Rat damage to native plant cyanea acuminata. Photo credit: removeratsrestorehawaii.org
Rat damage to native snails achatinella mustelina. Photo credit: removeratsrestorehawaii.org
Rat damaged rambutan. Photo cerdit: removeratsrestorehawaii.org.
Rat predation on native species. Photo credit: Lindsay Young.
Rats threaten native wildlife. Photo credit removeratsrestorehawaii.org.
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