New MCA Members!
The Maui Conservation Alliance wants to welcome its newest member organizations and their representatives:
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Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, Rep: Hanna Mounce
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University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), Rep: James Leary
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Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Rep: Tamara Sherrill
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We are very excited to work with these new organizations to work towards our collective conservation goals!
Auwahi: From Forest Failure to Restoration Success in 20 Years
Hawai'i Public Radio produced a new story about one of our MCA members, Auwahi Restoration Project and its founder, Dr. Art Medeiros.
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Highlights include:
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In the 1980's less than 3% of dryland forests remained in Auwahi
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Since the project began in 1997, more than 1,600 volunteers have put in over 37,000 hours of volunteer work
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Planted 125,000 native trees!
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Native species cover has increased to 82%
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Read the story and hear the HPR newscast here:
Auwahi: From Forest Failure to Restoration Success in 20 years
Maui Conservation loses an icon
On Tuesday, July 3, the conservation community lost one of its heros, Dr. Lloyd Loope.
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"He was a giant, both fierce and gentle at the same time He was fierce in his passion for native ecosystems, lending a warrior's voice on the issues of invasive species. He was a giant in that all who knew or worked with him revered him for his knowledge and intellect. He was loved as a mentor by those to whom he gave so freely of his time and wisdom and I suspect there are many of us who viewed him that way even though he didn't realize it. And he could be fierce in his clarity - he had no tolerance for scientific inaccuracy, a standard he applied with equal rigor to his own voluminous publications and reports. His intellect was legion. Late in his career and even after retirement, Lloyd tackled new, complex scientific challenges, such as ohia rust, rapid ohia death, and climate change, even though he recognized long odds. And he was persistent - he kept raising the need for a Myrtaceae quarantine rule. And under all that commitment, dedication and focus, there was also a gentleness and humility. Lloyd often sat silent during meetings, unless and until he had something meaningful to say. Even though he knew his own self-worth, he was quick to give credit to others.
MISC benefited tremendously from Lloyd's involvement, including his early work on miconia, the formation of the Melastome Action Committee, and his active participation on the MISC Committee, culminating in his position as Chair until he stepped down for health reasons. His passing is a personal and professional loss for us. There is so much more that can, and will, be said about Lloyd, his work, his influence, and who he was.
The Hawaii conservation community has lost a number of heroes this year -- reminders that our time and our work here is limited and unknown and that we need our collective vision, energy and heart more than ever."
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Written by Teya M. Penniman
Special Projects & Development Director
PCSU/MISC
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For more on his background and contributions see this article:
Photo Credit: Maui News: Lloyd Loope Jr.
Rapid 'Ohi'a Death
A newly identified disease has killed large numbers of mature ʻohiʻa trees (Metrosideros polymorpha) in forests and residential areas of the Puna and Hilo Districts of Hawaiʻi Island. Landowners have observed that when previously healthy-looking trees begin to exhibit symptoms they typically die within a matter of weeks. Pathogenicity tests conducted by the USDA Agriculture Research Service have determined that the causal agent of the disease is the vascular wilt fungus, Ceratocystis fimbriata (Keith and others 2015). This disease has the potential to kill ʻohiʻa trees statewide.
An aerial survey conducted by the Hawaii DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the USDA Forest Service, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park staff of 810,000 acres of ʻohiʻa forests on Hawaii Island has shown that the extent of Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death is much wider than previously thought. Surveyors estimated the current extent of the infestation at 34,000 acres.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
DON'T SPREAD IT
STAY INFORMED
IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS
HAWAII 2016 - "PLANET AT THE CROSSROADS"
The countdown begins to the opening of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016, the world’s largest and most inclusive environmental decision-making forum that will define the future path for nature conservation.
"The IUCN Congress will be held under the theme ‘Planet at the crossroads’, emphasising that nature conservation and human progress are not a zero-sum game, and that credible and accessible choices exist that can promote general welfare while supporting and enhancing our planet’s natural assets.
With the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) later this month and momentum building towards a global agreement to tackle climate change in Paris this December, the world is setting an ambitious agenda for addressing fundamental social and environmental global challenges. The IUCN Congress will guide the efforts of IUCN’s almost 1,300 member organisations – some of the most influential players on the environmental scene – including over 200 government members, in support of these global ambitions.
Held every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress gathers between 6,000 and 8,000 delegates from around the world, including world leaders and representatives from governments, science, academia, Indigenous peoples groups, businesses and conservation.
The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016 will take place 1-10 September in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. This will be the first time the IUCN Congress will be hosted by the USA, having received strong endorsement from US President Barack Obama."
- Taken directly from:
Share and follow the #IUCNcongress hashtag on social media
"COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION"
A short film by the Maui Huliau Foundation sheds light on the MCA's mission
June 4, 2016
The Maui Conservation Alliance was featured in a short film produced by the talented students of the Maui Huliau Foundation, during their sixth annual Huliau Youth Environmental Film Festival held on June 4th, 2016 at the 'Iao Theater in Wailuku. Eight short films were presented with topics ranging from the viability of proposed uses of Sugar Cane lands, perspectives of a female worker bee and a parody of the Uptown Funk music video as a satire on climate change denial.
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The MCA focused film, entitled "Collaborative Conservation" was the Office of Economic Development funded documentary about the mission and work of the Maui Conservation Alliance. The film highlights interviews with MCA partner organizations to demonstrate how collaboration can be a powerful tool in protecting Maui's native ecosystems.
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To learn more about the Maui Huliau Foundation, visit their website at:
http://www.mauihuliaufoundation.org/
Watch the "Collaborative Conservation" film here
For more information on the Office of Economic Development and their Environmental Grants, visit: