OISC Coordinator Rachel Neville describes the differences between manuka and a similar looking native plant, pukiawe. |
Volunteer collecting manuka seedlings before they mature. |
Hard work, but removing manuka from trailsides decreases the chances of hikers distributing seeds to other areas. |
Piling up the manuka lessens the possibility of seeds germinating. |
A job well done! |
One of the native tree species, ohia lehua, common on Waiau trail. |
8 November 2008 OISC service trip
Target species: Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium)
Beautiful Waiau Trail in Pearl City boasts an array of native plants from hillsides covered with uluhe and pukiawe to larger tree species of koa and ohia lehua. This volunteer trip focused on removing invasive manuka from the area. Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand and southeast Australia that was introduced as an ornamental to Hawaii and quickly established due to its abundant seed production. Dense thickets of manuka form in gulches and other disturbed areas outcompeting native species.
Thank you to all those who helped to make this trip a success.
The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) is currently funded by grants from the Hau'oli Mau Loa Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service with support from PCSU (UH Manoa). Historically, HEAR has also received funding and/or support from the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), PIERC (USGS), the USFWS, HCSU (UH Hilo), and HALE (NPS). |
This page was created on 12 February 2007 by LF, and was last updated on 20 May 2009 by PN. |