Come help the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee, DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity control coqui frogs in Waimānalo. Coqui frogs are voracious predators, outcompeting our birds for food and depleting our populations of insects. They’re also the loudest frog in the world, disrupting the forest’s soundscapes and keeping Waimānalo community members awake through the night.
We will focus on capturing coqui frogs in small groups on beginner nights. Hand capture is a great method for reducing outlier frog populations while DOFAW continues to work on the core of the population. Maintaining the borders is essential to ensure these frogs don’t spread further into neighboring native forests! Waimānalo lineal descendent and cultural advisor Kimeone Kane helped develop this event and continues to guide us.
WHEN:
Beginner nights are led by OISC and occur every second and third Thursday evening of the month from 5:30pm-9pm. To sign up for specific nights, please use DOFAW’s iVolunteer website. Look for nights that don’t have “Experienced” in the description — at least until you’ve worked your way up to that stellar group of dedicated volunteers.
WHERE:
We meet at the makai field of Waimānalo District Park, between the restrooms and the outdoor basketball courts. From there, we carpool up to the forest for about 1-2 hours of coqui catching. Afterwards, we ride back down to the park to share our reflections from the night.
WHAT TO BRING:
Backpack, water, insect repellent, headlamp, sturdy hiking shoes, and rain gear. Long pants and long-sleeved shirts are highly recommended. Coqui capture tools will be provided.
NOTE: Volunteers will be hiking off-trail in moderately steep to steep terrain with exposure to rain, mosquitoes, and muddy conditions. Volunteers should be fit enough to hike the equivalent of 5 flights of stairs. Participants will be required to sign a waiver and provide emergency contact information.
Minimum age is 16 years old. Children 16-18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Children under 16 are welcome to join on special nights led by DOFAW. Please call 808-766-3931 or email oisccel@hawaii.edu with any questions.
