Upcoming Events — Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)

Pūpūkea-Paumalu Volunteer Trip

WHEN:

Saturday, December 21st, 9am-2pm.

WHERE:

Pūpūkea-Paumalu State Park Reserve on O‘ahu’s North Shore.

WHAT TO BRING:

Daypack, water (at least 2 liters), insect repellent, lunch, sturdy hiking shoes. Long pants and long-sleeved shirt are highly recommended to protect from mosquitoes and scratches.

RSVP REQUIRED!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP Space is limited and the link will close when the trip is full. If you have questions, please contact OISC at oisc@hawaii.edu or call 808-266-7944 or text 808-286-4616.

MISSION:

We will conduct trail surveys for devil weed (Chromolaena odorata) and pulling it out when we find it to prevent it’s further spread. The goal of these trail surveys is to remove plants before they mature, preventing hitchhiking seeds being spread via hikers and bikers.

NOTE:

Volunteers will be hand-pulling plants, hiking along easy to moderate trails. Expect exposure to sun, heat, rain and mud, mosquitoes and some steep areas of trail. Volunteers should be physically fit and able to hike 4.5 hours at a moderate pace. Participants will be required to sign a waiver and provide emergency contact information. Children ages 12-17 yrs. must have parent/guardian signature. Children ages 12-15 must have an adult accompany them for the duration of the trip. Please call 808-266-7994 or email oisc@hawaii.edu with any questions.

*OISC can transport up to 4 volunteers to and from the site from our Kailua baseyard. We leave Kailua at 7:40am and will return by 3:30pm. If you would like a ride, you can indicate that on the RSVP. Space is limited so first come, first served. However, we do not have time to stop on the way back for a dip in the ocean…which is why some people prefer to drive.

Bill to help remove feral ungulates from native forests.

Fence line shows the stark contrast between ungulate damaged land and protected forest.

Please help DLNR employ aerial shooting in order to remove feral ungulates from native forest. It is a necessary method in order to completely remove feral sheep and pigs from inside fence lines. There is a hearing scheduled for Friday, January 22^nd on a bill (HB799) that would affirm DLNR’s authority to carry out aerial shooting. Here are the particulars for the bill and how to submit testimony:

Bill text and status: http://bit.ly/HB799_textstatus

Hearing notice: http://bit.ly/HB799_HearingNotice

Submit testimony: www.capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx

Testimony heading:

Testimony of ________________

Supporting With Amendments H.B.799 HD1 Relating to the Uniform Aeronautics Act

House Committee on Judiciary

Friday, January 22, 2015, 2:00PM, Room 325

The Nature Conservancy has shared their testimony for your reference. TNC Testimony on HB 799

Mahalo!

Earth Month 2015 at Manoa Public Library

In celebration of Earth Month, join OISC tonight at the Manoa Public Library for a screening of “Invasion-Little Fire Ants in Hawaii” at 6:30pm.

Find out why these ants aren’t like the others and how you can prevent their spread.

2015 Hawaii Water Workshops

The State Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) is updating the statewide Water Resource Protection Plan (WRPP) and needs your manaʻo on what water resource issues are important to you.

March 3, 6:30pm-8:30pm, DLNR Board Room, 1151 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI 96813

For more information CLICK HERE.

O’ahu Invasive Species Workshop; Feb 25th 6pm-8:30pm

The Eco-Literacy Series at the ProtoHUB at Kaka’ako presents an O’ahu Invasive Species Workshop on Wednesday, Feb 25th from 6:00pm-8:30pm.

OISC and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife will discuss local efforts to combat invasive species. Free refreshments provided. Contact Tom Ekman to RSVP @ tomekmanoahu@gmail.com or call 415-309-7259

Volunteer Opportunity with DLNR; Saturday, Jan. 3rd at Kawainui Marsh

Start your New Year by helping Hawaii’s endangered waterbirds on Sat. January 3rd! Volunteer with DLNR, helping restore the ponds of Kawainui Marsh.

-See flyer below for more information

Kawainui Volunteer Day Flyer Jan 3

OISC Volunteer Trip to Lyon Arboretum: September 13th, 2014

Aloha interested OISC Volunteers! Here are the details for the next OISC volunteer trip:

When: Saturday, Sept. 13th 2014, 9:00am – 2:00pm

What: Please join the Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) in partnership with Lyon Arboretum on a monthly work trip to remove harmful invasive plants from the island before they have a chance to spread and cause damage to our unique natural environment. OISC’s volunteer program helps Lyon Arboretum with its commitment to protect Oahu from new invaders by removing selected high-risk invasive species from their collections. On this work trip we will focus on the 2 invasive plants, Stromanthe tonckat and Ardisia virens, to prevent its spread and establishment into the healthy native forests at higher elevations. Lyon Arboretum is the only location on O‘ahu where this species is growing, which means with your help we can work toward completely eliminating it from the island!

Please note: Volunteers will be hand-pulling plants and hiking off-trail in moderately steep to steep terrain with exposure to sun, rain, mosquitoes and dirt. Volunteers should be physically fit for strenuous activity and prepared for changing weather conditions.

What to bring: Bring more water than you think you will need–at least 2 quarts. Please bring gloves, sunhat, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, rain jacket and sturdy hiking shoes; long pants and long-sleeved shirts are recommended. No slippers allowed. Pack a hearty lunch because we will be working hard!

Where: Lyon Arboretum, 3860 Mānoa Road. Meet in the Lyon Arboretum parking lot.

Driving Directions: Drive into Mānoa valley (mauka) on University Ave. University Ave. turns into O‘ahu Ave. Continue mauka on O‘ahu Ave. At the five-way intersection, turn onto Mānoa Road and follow it to the end (just past Paradise Park) to the entrance of Lyon Arboretum. Drive up the entrance road and park in the parking lot at the end of the driveway.

Public Transit: Take the #5 bus into Mānoa valley and get off at the last bus stop. From there, walk approximately one-half mile to the arboretum. Call TheBus at 848-5555 for more information.

Thank you as always for helping us protect O‘ahu from invasive species!

Click here to RSVP! All participants will be required to sign a waiver.