Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee Outreach-2018 · We also contribute to the Plant Pono website...

KauaʻiInvasiveSpeciesCommitteeOutreach-2018

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Title:KauaʻiInvasiveSpeciesCommitteeOutreachOrganization:KauaʻiInvasiveSpeciesCommittee,PacificCooperativeStudiesUnit,UHAward:$48,679Introduction:TheKauaʻiInvasiveSpeciesCommittee(KISC)isavoluntarypartnershipofgovernment,private,non-profitorganizations,andindividualsworkingtogetherto:preventtheintroductionofpotentiallydamagingpestspeciestotheisland,eliminaterecentlyarrived(incipient)pestsbeforetheyspreadbeyondcontrol,manageestablishedpestsinordertoreducetheirnegativeimpacts,andeducateandinvolvethepublicastothemagnitudeoftheinvasivespeciesproblemandtheneedforcontrolprogramssuchasKISC.Invasivespeciesoutreachandeducationisanintegralcomponentofon-the-grounddetectionandcontroleffortsbyKISC.Communitycollaborationisessentialinthediscovery,prevention,andcontroloftargetandearlydetectioninvasivespecies.Achievementsin2018

CitizenScience:AnewCitizenSciencecampaignwascreatedtoengageKauaʻistudentsinlittlefireant(LFA)awarenessandtesting.Studentscollectedsamplesathomeandparticipatedinhands-onlabstoexaminetheirantsinclass.Inapopularfeatureoftheprogram,thestudentsenteredtheirowndataonline,usingtheCitSci.orgplatform,contributinginrealtimetobuildinganisland-widecollaborativemap.Tenelementaryandmiddleschoolclassesparticipated,involving231students,whocollected149samples,comprising669popsiclesticks,ofwhich443hadants(noLFAwerefound).Programsuccessesincludedexcellentislandcoverageintestingplusenthusiasticengagementandknowledgecarriedbackintothecommunitybythestudentsinvolved.

LFAMonth:KISCparticipatedintheHISCpartnershipcampaign,“SpottheAnt,StoptheAnt”monththroughoutOctober.InadditiontotheCitizenScienceprojectforschoolsdescribedabove,LFAoutreachforthecampaignincluded240x30-secondradioannouncements,onenewspaperarticle,12socialmediaposts,weeklyonlinemessage-boardpostings,andablogfeature.Testkitsweredistributedviasixlibraries,twoveterinaryclinics,andtheKauaʻiHumaneSociety,inkeepingwiththeyear’sthemeofProtectingPets.TheassistanceofveterinaryclinicstaffwassuccessfullysolicitedtodistributeLFAinformationandfliersduringthemonthtopetowners.LFAinformationwasalsothefeaturedelementinKISCdisplaysattwocommunityeventsduringthecampaign.

KauaʻiInvasiveSpeciesCommitteeOutreach-2018

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PonoEndorsementProgram:ThePonoEndorsementProgramwasdevelopedinpartnershipwithPlantPono,aprogramoftheCoordinatingGrouponAlienPestSpecies.ThePonoEndorsementProgramisavoluntarypartnershipbetweenanynurseryorlandscapingbusiness,PlantPono,andKISC.PonoEndorsedbusinessesarethosewhopracticeandpromotemaking“pono”plantdecisionsthatwillbenefitthehealthandwellbeingofKauaʻi.Thisprogramseekstoaddressinvasivespeciesdirectlylinkedtothenurseryandlandscapingtradebyencouragingbusinessestovoluntarilyremovetargethigh-riskplantsfromnurserystockandtoadoptbestmanagementpracticesthatreducetheriskofspreadinginvasivepestsanddisease.Activityin2018focusedonbuildingindustryconnections,strengtheningcommitmentofendorsedbusinesses,andgatheringfeedbackonexperiencesfromthefirsttwoyearsoftheprogram.Surveyquestionnaireswerecompletedby16businessunitsandthecompiledresultswillinformareasforimprovementgoingforward.OnenewPonobusinesswasendorsedandonewasinprocessatyear-end,foratotalof20EndorsedBusinessUnits(NurseryandLandscaping).GuardianoftheGardenIsle:(Digitalmembers:365)KISC’smembershipnetworkengagesresidentsandvisitorsonanindividuallevelwithemailupdates,newsletters,volunteerdays,workshops,andpresentations.

• VolunteerWorkDays:KISCpartneredwithlocalconservationorganizationstoofferthepublicwaystogetinvolvedwithinvasivespeciesremoval,includingvolunteerworkdayswithKokeeResourceConservationPrograminKokeeStatePark,MālamaHuleiʻa,andtheWaipā(38people).

• EarlyDetectionWorkshopsandPresentations:KauaʻiForestBirdRecoveryProject,KauaʻiEndangeredSeabirdRecoveryProject,KauaʻiNurseryandLandscaping,BiosanitationWorkshop,non-profitsandcommunitygroups(142people).

Websiteandsocialmedia:KISCmaintainsandupdatestheKISCwebsitewww.kauaiisc.org.WealsocontributetothePlantPonowebsitewww.pono.orgwhichiscurrentlyundergoingoverhaul.KISCalsomaintainsanactivesocialmediapresenceonFacebook/kauaiiscandInstagram@kauaiisc.TotalKISCwebsitevisits:17,645.Uniquewebvisitors:7,596.Totalsocialmediapostsfor2018:112.Facebookposts:72.Instagramposts:40.Facebooktotalreach:41,924.Instagramtotallikes:2,247.Facebookfollowersatyear-end:998.Instagramfollowersatyear-end:618.

Ananalysisofoursocialmediaperformancewasconductedatyear-endusingInsightstatisticsprovidedbyFacebook.Thedetailresultsprovideaperspectiveonareasofstrengthandweaknessandwillbeusedtoinformsocialmediaoutreachfor2019.Thereportisavailableonrequest.Professionalqualitye-newsletter:KISC’sannualnewsletterfocusedonpartnershipprojectsincludingmiconia,coqui,andlittlefireants,togetherwithnewsaboutthe2018discoveryofRODonKauaʻiandessentialbiosanitationmeasures.ThenewsletterwasdistributedelectronicallyinDecemberandpromotedthroughsocialmedia,fromwhereitwasalsopickedupbytheKauaʻinewspaper.KISCintheMedia:KISChasbeenfeaturedormentionedinarticles,interviews,andspecialguestspotsinthemediaonKauaʻiandacrossthestate.

• Printedarticles:10;Internetarticles:15;TVnewsstories:2.(Of15totalstories,5appearedonlineonly,10appearedonlineandinprint,and2appearedonlineandonTV,foratotalof27individualnewsitems.)Allprintstorieswerefrontpageabovethefold,publishedinTheGardenIslandnewspaperwithprintcirculation11,267daily.NumbersdonotincludeRODstories.

KauaʻiInvasiveSpeciesCommitteeOutreach-2018

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Fairsandevents:(4,314peoplereached)• Throughouttheyear,KISCparticipatesincommunityfairsandevents,including:ArborDay,

KauaʻiGardenFair,AgricultureAwarenessDay,BananaPokaRoundup,KauaʻiCountyFarmBureauFair,NationalWildlifeRefugeDay.AttheseeventsKISCisrepresentedbystaffedinformationboothsortables,withcontinuousinteractivediscussionprovidingavaluablechannelforcommunicationwiththecommunity.

Schoolvisits:(1,626studentsreached)• PresentationsweregiventostudentsatEleeleSchool,IslandSchool,KalaheoElementary

School,Kanuikapono,KilaueaElementarySchool,KoloaElementarySchool,andKauaʻiCommunityCollege.KISCstaffalsoledactivitiesattheannualDepartmentofWaterMake-A-Splashevent,emphasizingimpactsfrominvasivespeciesonthehealthofourwatershed.

RapidOhiaDeath:Rapid'Ōhi'aDeathspecificoutreacheffortstotaledfivecommunitypresentations,reaching110people.ThesepresentationsincludedtheincomingKauaiCountyCouncil,theKauaipremiereof"Saving'Ōhi'a,"theinauguralbio-sanitationworkshop,cabinleaseholdersinKokee,andtrailsidebriefingsofbirdersparticipatingintheannualChristmasBirdCountinKokee.TwoKauaiRODdetectionnewsreleasesgenerated41knownonlineandprintmediaarticles.TheAPnewswirepickeduptherelease,anditgeneratedstoriesinlocalmedia,aswellas,stateandnationalmedia. Interviews,meetings,andconferences:KISCmaintainsawell-establishedoutreachprograminvolvingthecontinuedpartnershipandrelationshipswiththelocalcommunity,variousprivatebusinesses,andgovernmentagencypartners.Highlights:ChairofKauaʻiConservationAlliance,ChairofKauaʻiRose-RingedParakeetWorkingGroup,KauaʻiRapidOhiaDeathAdvisoryCommittee,memberoftheKauaʻiCountyFarmBureauCommodityCommittee,andmemberoftheKauaʻiLandscapeIndustryCouncil.ConferencePresentations:BrockK,KeaniniT.2018.WeighingPotentialImpactsagainControlFeasibilitytoPrioritizeInvasivePlans

forEradicationonKauaʻi.PosterpresentedattheHawaiʻiConservationConference;2018July;Honolulu(HI)

Displays:KISCcontinuestomaintaintheeducationalportsignagedisplaysfocusingongeneralenvironmentaleducation,inter-islandspeciesmovement,earlydetectionandreporting(3signsatNawiliwiliHarbor,1(5)paneldisplayatNawiliwiliHarbor,3(5)paneldisplaysatLihueAirport).Pestalerts,flyers,andbrochures:Informationalandeducationalmaterialsareimportanttoolswhencommunicatingnotonlywiththegeneralpublic,butalsowithpartnersandconservationcollaborators.AnupdatedKISCbrochurewasproducedin2018,focusingontheimportanceofearlydetectionwork,ourkeytargetspecies.FlyersandbrochuresdistributedthisyearfocusedonearlydetectionspeciesandthePonoEndorsementPrograminformation.Distributedpieces~2,000

ContactInformationFormoreinformation,pleasecontact: TiffaniKeanini,KISCProjectManager,kiscmgr@hawaii.edu,808-821-1490,www.kauaiisc.org