Hawaii EcoTube: October 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Very Sad News For Latest Hawksbill Hatchlings - Please Help!

I met Glynnis at the site this morning, and we picked up more dead hatchlings (and there are still a few left that I couldn't scrape off the road between cars racing by). There were probably nearly 100 killed. This is an unknown nest to us, as tracks were never reported, and looking at the calendar it seems to have been laid before the first Kealia nest was found. It's on a narrower section of the beach, so high tides could've erased the tracks.

We put up a black cloth fence behind the nest site, held down with rocks so no more can make it through onto the road again. I'm heading back there now with my wonderful volunteers to make sure this doesn't happen again. We'll set up vigil tomorrow during the day as well, so if anyone wants to turtle sit the nest please give me a call. We're also awaiting the first nest (that we did know about) to hatch, as tonight is night #65. It's night #56 for the second nest so we'll be keeping a close eye on that one too. Busy, busy!
Please, please, please, call Skippy, Glynnis, and myself right away(!!!) when something like this is found!
Mahalo,
~Cheryl

Original Note...
We had an unfortunate emergence this morning, probably somewhere after 6 AM at Kealia. Unfortunate because many of the hatchlings turned toward the road and didn't make it. XXXXXX was walking the beach, but unfortunately had her dogs, without a leash, and couldn't do much to help. Great that she was there and called me and I was able to run right up there. There was a Highway Cleanup crew working and I solicited them over to help. We carefully checked the area and found 16 hatchlings in the brush and weeds that we moved to the open sand to run to the water. XXXXX arrived and we searched the area for another hour only finding one more hatchling.

Which Would You Prefer to See?

This is an amazing site with insights of international issues, as well as for Maui and Hawaii Nui. Please Click the link below to view more.

http://www.hamerhawaii.com/Main%20Web%20Pages/research/manta_ray_awareness_program.htm

About Hawaii EcoTube

Your opportunity to highlight and learn about both positive and negative environmental issues concerning those of us who love Hawaii. The purpose of this site and its associated YouTube Channel is to accumulate photographic and video documentation of short- and long-term instances of natural resources impacts. The intent is to raise awareness through objective documentation of these impacts and occurrences, initiate an honest dialog, and provide a forum for progressive improvements as well as showcase current and ongoing sustainable practices.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - A Call to Help

Help With The Roi Roundup!!
mailto:roiroundup@gmail.com

For Immediate Release: October 15, 2009
NR09-13
LITTLE FIRE ANT FOUND ON MAUI
HONOLULU — An invasive, stinging ant called the Little Fire Ant (LFA) has been discovered on a farm in Waihee, Maui. At this time, it appears that the ant infestation is confined to a ½-acre area on the farm and the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is preparing an eradication program. Although this ant species has been on the Big Island since at least 1999, this is the first discovery of the ant on Maui.
LFA are tiny ants, measuring 1/16th inch long, are pale orange in color and move slowly. They can produce painful stings and large red welts and cause blindness in pets. They can build up very large colonies on the ground and in trees and other vegetation and completely overrun a property. They will also freely move into homes..
The following is a chronology of events on Maui:
On October 2, 2009, the HDOA’s entomologist on Maui followed up on a call about ants stinging people on a farm in Waihee. Ant specimens were collected and sent to Honolulu, where the ant was positively identified as LFA, Wasmannia auropunctata, on October 5th.
On October 6th, HDOA’s Maui entomologist and two Plant Quarantine inspectors surveyed Waihee Elementary School, which is located about ¼ mile from the infested farm. No LFA were detected at the school.
From October 7 through the 13th, staff from Honolulu and the Big Island joined the Maui crew to conduct surveys at the infestation site and determined that LFA is confined to about 1/2 acre of the property. Surveys determined that the ant did not occur in the surrounding area, which includes macadamia nut fields and other private lands.
HDOA is working closely with the landowner, who has been cooperating with HDOA to eradicate the ant on that property. HDOA is using a combination of techniques to confine the ants and eradicate them, which involves using two types of ant baits and restricting the movement of infested material off and within the property. Entomologists report that, by the size of the ant colonies, LFA may have been at the site for about one year.
The department is also conducting trace back and trace forward research to determine the original source of the ants and the potential places where it may have been moved.
HDOA has been conducting surveys for this ant throughout Maui, but will increase this effort by training Maui County field crews about this stinging ant and the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) on how to conduct surveys for LFA at high-risk areas on Maui. MISC has received funding from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to conduct these surveys.
Attached is an HDOA Pest Advisory that contains information on LFA and its history in Hawai`i. (Also available on the department’s website at: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/pi/ppc/npa-1/npa99-02-lfireant.pdf ). This is the only detection of LFA on Maui; however, HDOA would like to request the public’s help in determining if there are other infestations on the island. Suspected LFA or other stinging ants on Maui should be reported to the Maui office of HDOA Plant Quarantine Branch at 873-3962 or to the State’s toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 643-PEST (7378).

HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS
Please report all sightings of Hawaiian monk seals in Maui County to NOAA Fisheries:
Ph# 808-292-2372 or email nicole.davis@noaa.gov
If there is an emergency, please call the 24-hr Marine Mammal Hotline at 1-888-256-9840

MAUI HAWKSBILLS
Join Dawn Patrol!
Help Build/Rebuild Fence

Aloha All,
Not surprisingly, this is still the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Hawksbill Recovery Project, now under a new email address. Angie (Volunteer Coordinator) and I (Research Coordinator) will be using this address.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cheryl King
Angie Hofmann
http://www.wildhawaii.org/

Hawaii EcoTube

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Monday, October 26, 2009

Wonder What Happened?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Seen While Diving Today...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Very Sad News For Latest Hawksbill Hatchlings - Please Help!

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