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Plans in the pipeline to protect ‘ōhi‘a from ‘rust’
Puccinia psidii or “ohia rust” is found on the leaves of an ohia tree. Rob Anderson photo It starts with a spot, a tiny dot of orange on a leaf bound for Hawai‘i. It could be on cut foliage destined...
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Help Hawai‘i–harvest a Christmas tree
‘Tis the season, and tradition calls for pine trees to decorate Maui residents’ homes, although there are many palms decorated in Christmas lights as well. Most Christmas trees are shipped in, but...
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Conservation-Helping the Economy and the Environment
Darryl “Kanamu” Tau‘a was an East Maui tour bus driver who lost his job during the decline in tourism post September 11, 2001. Imi Nelson, a recent Hāna High graduate, was looking for work that would...
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Hawaiian land snails– a tale of evolution worthy of protection
The tale of Hawaiian land snails began millions of years ago as the first plants and animals began to colonize the islands. Researchers don’t know exactly how snails arrived – perhaps stuck to the...
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And then the pollinator wasp arrived…
Bo tree, Ficus religiosa, is an attractive ornamental that was once safe to plant in Hawaii. Now the pollinator wasp for the bo tree is in Hawaii and this prolific seeder threatens watersheds. Photo by...
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Invasive plants=Less water
This rainforest, in Puu Kukui on West Maui, is an example of an open canopy rainforest typical of native rainforest in Hawaii. This forest acts like a ‘sponge,’ absorbing water from rain and gently...
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Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death – a new threat to our watersheds
This ohia tree shows one of the characteristic symptoms of Rapid Ohia Death – the tree looks frozen or burnt, leaves still in place. Photo by J.B. Friday Five years ago, people living in the Puna...
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From the Forest to the Faucet – Every Drop Counts
Big Bog, high above Hāna on the windward slopes of East Maui, and Puʻu Kukui, on West Maui are some of the wettest places on the earth with 360-400 inches of rainfall a year, so it’s hard to imagine...
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Natural enemies could tame invasive Himalayan ginger
Though not invasive in India where it is native, Himalayan ginger can completely transform a Hawaiian rainforest like it has in this section at 4,000-foot elevation above Haiku. Inset: Ginger fruits...
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Measuring the impacts of invasive plants in Hawai’i’s watersheds
University of Hawai’i professor and researcher Tom Giambelluca is looking to better understand how invasive plants, like strawberry guava on the right, disrupt the water collection function of a...
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