Nā Koa Manu Conservation partners with Maui Invasive Species Committee

Nā Koa Manu Conservation announced a new strategic partnership with the Maui Invasive Species Committee, a respected leader in the protection of native Hawaiian ecosystems from the devastating impacts of invasive species.

Organizers say this collaboration marks a powerful step forward in NKMC’s mission to protect and recover native Hawaiian bird populations, forests and watersheds through collective and innovative conservation efforts.

As a community-rooted nonprofit organization, NKMC works across landscapes and partners to preserve the unique biodiversity of Hawaiʻi. The addition of MISC to the NKMC Partner Projects deepens a commitment to collaborative conservation and expands a collective reach to combat invasive species and the threats they pose to native wildlife and ecosystems.

“MISC brings invaluable knowledge, dedication, and experience to the table,” said Sarah McLane Bryan, President of NKMC. “Their proactive work in identifying and controlling invasive species on Maui has long set the standard for coordinated, community-based response in Hawaiʻi. We are thrilled to have them join our partner network and look forward to advancing conservation efforts together.”

MISC was founded in 1999 to address urgent threats such as the rapid spread of invasive plants, animals, and pathogens such as the Little Fire Ant and Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death.

MISC uses science-driven methods to safeguard native species and support healthy ecosystems. Their work directly aligns with NKMC’s mission, particularly in the prevention of habitat degradation and the protection of critical areas for Hawaiʻi’s endemic forest birds.

As a Partner Project, MISC will collaborate closely with NKMC and fellow conservation partners to enhance landscape-scale conservation strategies, engage local communities in stewardship, and strengthen biosecurity measures across islands.

MISC joins other locally recognizable and impactful Partner Projects: East Maui Watershed Partnership, Kula Community Watershed Alliance, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness Training, ReTree Hawai’i and Skyline Conservation Initiative.

“This partnership with NKMC reinforces the importance of unified, local conservation,” said Lissa Strohecker, MISC Acting Manager. “We’re excited to join forces with an organization that shares our vision for a resilient, native Hawaiʻi and will help us accelerate our goal to protect Maui Nui from the harm of invasive species.”

For more information about Nā Koa Manu Conservation and its growing network of conservation leaders, visit www.nkmconservation.org. Learn more about the impactful
work of MISC at www.mauiinvasive.org.