Annual Newsletter March 2002 Vol. 9

Website  http://www.angelfire.com/hi4/nhps

President: Linda Nelson
661-4303  linda@maui.net
VP:Irene Newhouse einew@hotmail.com
891-2252
Treasurer: Becky Lau
575-2369
Secretary: Lorna Harrison
572-6338

MEMBERSHIP

It’s membership renewal time again; time to show your support for protection of Maui’s native plants by sending in your membership dues.Dues are unchanged with $15 for individuals and $20 for families.  Simply fill out the membership form on the back of this newsletter and return it with your check.Be sure to mark the “I would like to volunteer” box if you want to be contacted about our ongoing projects.

NHPS

PO Box 5021

Kahului, HI

96733-5021


Email:

nhps@maui.net
 

Website       http://www.angelfire.com/hi4/nhps    ( webmaster Irene Newhouse )


PROPAGATION WORKSHOP MARCH 30

Aloha Plant Enthusiasts,There have been quite a few requests for starts of the Hibiscus waimeae and H. hannerae growing at the D. T. Fleming Arboretum at Puu Mahoe.On Saturday March 30, 2002, we will be air layering on these trees.Reny Platz, landscape manager for the Maui Tropical Plantation, will be the instructor.Please call me at 572-1097 to reserve a place.There will be a $10 fee to reimburse Rene for his time and effort.We will all need to BYO sphagnum moss, plastic wrap, twist ties, Rootone, a piece of aluminum foil, sharp pocket knife and picnic lunch.I will have labels so we can all label our own air layers.There will be a follow-up visit to Puu Mahoe cut our air layers and take them home to plant.
With aloha, Martha Vockrodt-Moran, DT Fleming Arboretum
SCREEN DONATION

Do you have a slideshow screen to donate to NHPS? We are looking for a screen for the presentations at our public meetings.It should be at least 5 or 6 feet long, big enough for a meeting of 100 people. If you have a screen that you can donate, call Linda at 661-4303

President’s Message

It’s been quite a year. Our projects really suffered with the drought but when the rains came in November, the resilience of the native plants in our exclosures compared to the alien species outside, made our work very worthwhile.We also worked with, and learned from, the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project directed by Art Medieros.This ten-acre projectis a proving ground for larger scale habitat restoration.Yes, bigger is better in conserving native plants and a diversity of species definitely helps the process.Many of us attended the Conservation Conference in Hilo in August. We saw restoration projects in New Zealand and California the size of islands.Yes, we can bring Kahoolawe back to the beautiful forested island it once was.
On another note, we no longer have a voicemail.Instead, I’ve listed the officer’s phone numbers at the side of this page.Please call us directly when you have questions and concerns.Checkout at our website for the monthly service outing announcements.Also, each of the project reports below shows the project leader’s phone number.NHPS is an organization of volunteers.We love working in the outback of Maui.We do hands-on, dirt-under-your-fingers conservation with the reward of seeing rare species like Mao hau hele saved from extinction in the wild by our efforts.Your help would make it even better! As you read the project reports, please think about joining one of our projects.Call the number listed and join our fun.Help us save Maui’s rare plants.—Linda Nelson

KANAHA POND 

The NHPS’ twelve-year, on-going restoration project at Kanaha Pond Wildlife Sanctuary is moving forward.This fall we planted several species in the Federally funded Sand Dune Endangered Species Project.Most of the plants survived and are doing well thanks to the planting and watering efforts of Becky Lau, Martha Martin, Janet Allan, Muffy Davis, Linda Nelson, Janet Magalianes, Neil Bordmeyer and Lorna Harrison.Both sides of the bunker roadway which were cleared and planted with akulikuli two years ago are also doing well.The last three months of rain have caused the volunteer sprouting of many native heliotrope, aweoweo, ahu’awa, pa’u o Hi’i’aka, akulikuli and WEEDS.We could use some extra help weeding here before the bird nesting season starts on April 1.Call Lorna at 572-6338 to help.
On Fridays, Neil Bordmeyer has been clearing pluchia off the berm-like island that runs parallel to the bunker roadway.His work has opened up a nice vista across the Pond.Feel free to spend a morning with us on any of our various projects.No need for long term commitments. –Lorna Harrison

LA PEROUSE   ANCHIALINE POND

In 2001 this area continued to be dry and as such, few weeds were able to survive.We continued to eradicate Koa haole in and around the Awikiwiki exclosure.At the Ponds, we (hopefully) eliminated the Kiawe and Milo trees and numerous Pluchea plants. Even though this winter’s rains were heavy in many parts of the island, the La Perouse arearemained dry and the exclosure and ponds were fairly weed free on our last visit.–Richard Nakagawa
at 873-3504
MA`O HAU HELEEXCLOSURE

2001 was a year of great progress in our efforts to protect our State Flower, Hibiscus brackenridgei. Most of the mature koa haole and guinea grass has been removed from the exclosure and adjacent areas. In April, we counted, measured and tagged several hundred ma`o hau hele seedlings, in order to track them over the years to come. We hope to learn more about their life history in order to help our conservation efforts. Despite the long, dry summer, most of these keiki survived, and are thriving now due to this winter’s abundant rain.

The other native plant species are also doing well, as we remove the worst of the alien plants. There was no indication at all this year again that any animals got inside the fence. Wailuku Agribusiness, the landowner, has graciously given permission to extend the fence to protect a mature ma`o hau hele that is currently vulnerable.

Mahalo nui loa to Avery Chumbley, Charlie Ota, Chuck Nicklies, and especially all the people who volunteered their valuable time to help protect our precious natural resources. We’d love to have your help; please contact me at 669-4983 or hlo@lava.net for information on our next service trip. It’s rewarding AND fun! – Hank Oppenheimer
 
 

AUWAHI

Our newest exclosure fence is finished! It protects numerous very rare native species, such as Melicope adscendens.We also have a new cooperative agreement with Ulupalakua Ranch, UH-Manoa Geology Department and the US Geological survey.A number of monitoring instruments have been placed within and around the exclosures to monitor rainfall and cloud drip.Hopefully, this will give a better understanding of how water is used by the plants in the area.
We continued our fight against the major weeds (Bocconia, Balloon plant, Natal redtop, and Velvet grass).These are proving to bevery invasive and we might employ some new strategies to control them. -- Richard Nakagawa at 873-3504
MAUI NUI BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Maui Nui Botanical Gardens staff and volunteers have been on site since July 1, 2001. We have accomplished much in this short time and appreciate the support of our members and friends. The garden is showing great improvement, and our temporary plant nursery is producing plants for out-planting and for sale.Our next sale will be in conjunction with the Punana Leo O Maui, Ho'omau Concert at the amphitheater below the Garden on March 23.

Our goal for this year is to expand our membership and volunteer base.We have received a $5,000 challenge grant for new memberships! So if you become a new member, your membership will be match by our anonymous donor. Our permanent nursery funded by the Maui Board of Water Supply is currently under construction, and expected to be completed in a few months.Come visit the Gardens soon and see how we are blooming. Mahalo and Aloha, Lisa Schattenburg-Raymond         For more information call 249-2798 of e-mail us at  mnbg@maui.net
 

MAHALO TO:

Terry Quisenberry for volunteering to build the fence for the new Ohai exclosure Dan Cohen for supplying the fencing

Cook Kwee’s Maui Cookies for donating those tasty cookies for our meetings

Maui Nui Botanical Gardens and the Hawaiian Canoe Club for use of their meeting rooms for our Board meetings
Maui County Parks Department for use of their Community Center meeting rooms for our public meetings
Our public meeting speakers, Tracy Irwin, Dr. Fern Duvall, Lisa Schattenberg-Raymond, Brian Valley and Baron Horiuchi for showing us conservation at work in Hawaii
Eda Kinnear for the beautiful native plant garden in the Kahului Library Courtyard

Last Year...

January 2001: Maui Nui Botanical Garden’s rebirth finally started when Lisa Raymond got the key to the property.NHPS testified in support of Federal critical habitat designation for our endangered plant species.
February:Annual Meeting with panel presentation of :
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN PLANT CONSERVATION
with Dr. Fern Duvall of State DLNR,
Lisa Raymond of the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens,
and Tracy Irwin of the Auwahi Dry Forest Restoration Project.

March: NHPS worked with Na Ala Hele volunteers to clean the new Ohai exclosure near Kahakuloa, a new annual service project for us with Dan Cohen as project leader.

April:Despite the drought, hundreds of Hibiscus brackenridgei seedlings were counted in our exclosure, appearing after the successful clearing of invasive grasses and weeds.

June:USFWS Big Island horticulturist Baron Horiuchi talked about the

CHALLENGES AND TECHNIQUES OF NATIVE PLANT SPECIES PROPAGATION AT HAKALAU FOREST NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE at our public meeting

.

July:Irene set up a website for us at http://www.angelfire.com/hi4/nhps

August:Half the Board attended the combined Hawaii Conservation Conference/Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology in Hilo with conservationists from around the world.

October:Annual greenhouse cleanup at Kealia Pond.

November:Finally the rains came ending a severe drought.Annual service party to Kanaha Pond.

December: Annual party at Camp Pecusa.

January 2002:Returning to the Hibiscus Brackenridgei exclosure, we found more than 100 surviving seedlings due to the very wet rainy season.

February:Our annual meeting speaker was Brain Valley, propagator for the Nature Conservancy’s Lanai projects, talking about his successes in  SAVING HAWAII’S NATIVE PLANTS ONE BY ONE.