LIHU‘E — Earth Day is every day for members of the Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee. The organization kicked off its week of Earth Day celebration Wednesday during the Kaua‘i Conservation Alliance’s Conservation Awareness Day. “The thing I love about this
LIHU‘E — Earth Day is every day for members of the Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee. The organization kicked off its week of Earth Day celebration Wednesday during the Kaua‘i Conservation Alliance’s Conservation Awareness Day.
“The thing I love about this job is that it connects me to this island directly with the land and the people,” said Keren Gundersen, project manager of KISC and chairperson of KCA. “We have gotten to go to the most beautiful places on Kaua‘i that most people don’t get to go.”
Unfortunately, Gundersen and her staff are traveling to these places to prevent, control and eradicate invasive species that are threatening the island’s ecosystem.
KISC was formed in 2001, and its staff of two has grown into nine.
“We were the last ISC to form across the state,” Gundersen said. “There was an obvious need for it on Kaua‘i.”
Funded entirely by county, state, federal and private grants, the organization’s mission is to “fill in the gaps” in addressing invasive plants and animals on Kaua‘i.
“Filling in the gaps, meaning filling in the gaps between other agencies,” Gundersen said. “For example, miconia is considered the worst threat to the watershed statewide. The kuleana resides with the Department of Agriculture, but they don’t have the staff to respond. … We have taken that as our No. 1 priority.”
If invasive species were left unchecked, the potential damage impacts an entire ecosystem.
“It’s displaces native plants. For example with miconia, it inhabits the recruitment of native plants. They take over the forest. It destroys habitats for birds, snails and invertebrates, and it inhibits recharge of our aquifers and other things.”
Gundersen cited coqui frogs as another example of an invasive species that KISC has worked to eradicate, stating that the organization has been the primary responder to calls and the workforce on site.
“May 1 marks the one-year anniversary since a frog citing,” Gundersen said. “Then KISC will consider it eradicated.”
One of the most notorious invasive species KISC keeps an eye out for is the mongoose, which is responsible for the taking of native birds and turtles. There have been 160 reported sightings in the last 44 years, Gundersen said.
In order to successfully control and eradicate invasive species, KISC relies heavily on education and the eyes of the public.
“We focus a lot on early detection of new arrivals to Kaua‘i,” Gundersen said. “We did a roadside survey across the entire island, driving on every road. What we were looking for was a list of plants that were known invasive from other islands. … Here’s the thing: Some of these are planted as ornamentals, like rubber vine, for example. They are planted in landscaped yards and not seen as invasive.”
Rubber vine is one of Australia’s top weeds of national significance. The aggressive, creeping vine smothers the land, preventing other vegetation from growing.
“Education and outreach is a huge component of what we do,” Gundersen said. “Not only educating the keiki is so important, but by involving the community, they act as our eyes and ears. We have workshops to train them on what to look for. Basically, we want them to look for anything unusual and we’ll check it out.”
Gundersen said working with KISC is “fun and interesting,” while providing significant education.
“I cannot go to Wailua Falls and say, ‘Oh look, how beautiful,’ because I go, ‘Oh my God, it’s all weeds.’”
Visit www.kauaiisc.org for more information.
• Andrea Frainier, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or afrainier@ thegardenisland.com.
