2021 Report to the
Hawaiʿi Invasive Species Council

An ʻōhiʻa blossom, a key component of Oʻahu Watersheds, and one of the manynative plants protected through OISC incipient invasive species survey and control.

The Oʿahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) protects Oʻahu’s watersheds, ecosystems and agriculture
by preventing harm from invasive species before those species become uncontrollable. The OISC fieldcrew conducts surveys and control for invasive species that have not yet become abundant enough todamage the island’s agriculture and ecosystems, but likely would cause harm if not controlled. By
removing invasive species before the effects are felt, we can prevent labor-intensive and costly
remediation measures later.
OISC operations are guided by the OISC steering committee,
which is made up of representatives of conservation
organizations and land managers island-wide. Many of thepeople who serve on OISC’s steering committee today were
giving up their weekends to control invasive species as volunteers
when OISC was first formed back in 2001. For 2021 operations,
HISC awarded OISC $748,339 for surveys and control of priority
invasive species and outreach. OISC raised an additional$519,532 from other sources. The deliverables andaccomplishments described below include HISC-funded activities
and leveraged funds.
In 2021, OISC continued steady progress towards stopping the
spread of incipient invasive species, including: miconia (Miconia
calvescens), devil weed (Chromolaena odorata), cane ti(Tibouchina herbacea) Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus),and Cape ivy (Delairea odorata). OISC served as the co-lead forthe multi-agency effort across Oʻahu to detect the two fungal
pathogens that cause Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD). In partnering
Above: Miconia destroys thewith the Māmalu Poepoe program, OISC facilitated early
understory and promotes
detection trap checks for coconut rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes
erosion, this photo is from Tahiti
rhinoceros) and Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata)
where miconia has taken overat Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. OISC
vast amounts of forest.
continued to provide guidance to partners and community
members to help manage the spread of naio thrips (Klambothrips myoporii) and assisted the Hawaiʻi Ant
Lab (HAL) and the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) with little fire ant (Wasmannia
auropunctata) surveys and outreach. OISC is the primary outreach agency for little fire ant on Oʻahu
and coordinates outreach efforts with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA), the Hawaiʻi Ant
Lab (HAL) and the Coordinating Group for Alien Pest Species (CGAPS) in order to stay ahead of theinvasion front. In addition to little fire ant outreach, OISC continued providing vital invasive species
information to students, teachers, the landscape industry, recreational groups and other stakeholders
throughout the island and state regarding watershed health and OISC target species.
In order to combat the threats posed by these target species, OISC deploys teams of field biologists withexpertise in off-trail hiking, survey and control methodologies, helicopter safety, and species
identification. Areas with historic species locations and the areas adjacent to historic locations as
informed by OISC’s buffering system, are surveyed regularly until regional eradication is achieved. The
eradication timeline varies by species and is determined by a number of environmental and biologicalfactors specific to each target species. Typically, field staff will systematically scour survey sites alongtransects, by ground or air, and will control species immediately upon discovery. This system allows

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OISC to adapt our strategy to any species that the committee deems necessary for our organization tocontrol.

Miconia (Miconia calvescens)
Miconia is the highest-priority target for OISC because once established, it will severely degrade Oʻahu’s
watersheds. Miconia’s shallow root systems and leaf morphology promote excessive soil runoff during
heavy rains by funnelling rainwater to the ground with tremendous force, thereby reducing soil
retention. These characteristics indicate that a miconia-dominated forest is more prone to detrimental
flooding impacts, including erosion and landslides, moreso than a native-dominated forest. Morelandslides will mean more opportunities for weed invasion in our upper watersheds and the effects ofincreased landslides and flooding hazards will be felt throughout communities surrounding forests
invaded by miconia.
Miconia incursion will not only harm our terrestrial ecosystems and surrounding communities, but thisspecies will also damage our marine ecosystems. Increased stream sedimentation and stormwaterrunoff will deposit excessive nutrients and nonpoint source pollution into our nearshore waters, aiding
the spread of invasive algae and decreasing prime habitat characteristics for native marine species.
Characteristics like higher turbidity and lower dissolved oxygen from excess sedimentation and runoff
will push native species out of these areas and invite non native species who thrive in these conditions
to invade these areas.
Unfortunately, miconia seeds remain viable in the soil for at least 18 years, making this a project that
requires long-term financial comittment. OISC’s strategy is to survey the entire estimated seed bank ofmiconia every two to three years to find and remove trees before they mature. OISC utilizes a 1,600
meter buffering system around known plant locations. The inner 800 meter buffer is surveyed byground, must be surveyed on a 3-year rotating schedule, and is the perferred method for detecting
individual trees. Any areas deemed too steep to safely survey within the 800 meter ground buffer are
surveyed by helicopter. The outer 800 meter buffer is surveyed once and then every 7 years whenpossible. This is the perferred method for detecting stands of miconia that have gone undetected inorder to discover any outlier spread. These buffer distances have been informed by dispersal distanceanalysis and studies on biological vectors known to aid the spread of miconia.
In 2021, OISC conducted miconia surveys in 15 different watersheds across 3,066 acres byground, 2,397 acres by air, and an additional 728 survey acres along Oʻahu roadsides.
Crews removed 1,640 immature and 14 mature miconia trees in 2021, protecting 6,191
acres of forest across the island. The mature miconia trees were removed
from the Kaʻalaeʻa, Kahaluʻu, Kawainui, Mānoa, and Nuʻuanu
watersheds. Upon discovering a mature miconia tree on theoutskirts of the miconia buffer in Maunawili, field crews
detected and controlled a total of 8 mature miconia trees within the
new 780-acre expansion of miconia survey area. The systematic controlof miconia has prevented the type of single-species stands that occur in
Tahiti where this species threatens two-thirds of the forest and is directly
threatening 25% of native forest species with extinction.

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Left: staff secure
webbing to tallmature miconia
to prepare forassisted fall
during felling
operation.

Right: staff climb
through thickvegetation toaccess miconia
patch.
The long-lived seedbank makes this species difficult to eradicate. Trees are sometimes missed becauseof thick vegetation and we have not been able to meet our goal of preventing maturation of trees in all
watersheds. However, we have been able to prevent this species from establishing. When OISC firstbegan surveys in 2002, we removed 40 mature and 3,347 immature trees from 2,042 acres. In 2021,
OISC removed 14 mature trees over 6,191 acres, a drop in mature tree densities by over 80% since 2002.

Devil weed (Chromolaena odorata)
Chromolaena odorata is known as “devil weed” and for good reason. It is toxic to livestock and humans
and a weed of conservation and agricultural concern throughout Africa and the Pacific. Populations of
this species are currently known to occur at the Kahuku Training Area (KTA), ʻAhupuaʻa ʻO Kahana State
Park, ʻAiea Loop Trail, Camp Smith, and a multitide of locations between Malaekahana and Pūpūkea onOʻahu’s north shore. Additionally, individual plants have been detected in Hauʻula and Mākaha, but noreproducing populations have been discovered during follow-up surveys. A lone plant on the outskirtsof Lanikai Beach was also detected several years ago, but subsequent surveys revealed no additional
recruitment.
OISC field staff surveyed 98 acres of Mākaha valley trails and an additional 16.8 acres around historic
devil weed locations during our initial camping operation, totaling 114 ground survey acres in 2021.
Staff from partner agencies who work in this location more frequently have opportunistically foundindividual plants in the area, which has helped to direct OISC’s efforts to focus on trails in addition tohistoric locations within the valley. Although our surveys have not revealed large patches of devil weedin Mākaha valley, this plant’s ability to hitchhike on clothing and disperse itself has resulted in multiple
detections by OISC partners. In 2021, OISC staff did not detect a single devil weed plant across the 114
acres of ground survey in this particular watershed.

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In addition to devil weed survey and control operations in Mākaha,
OISC conducts annual surveillance and control efforts in Kahana and at
KTA. Field teams survey areas known to to have recurring historic devil
weed populations twice per year. Staff remove flowers and seed headsof any mature plants they encounter and any seedlings too small foradequate field disposal. All vegetative material that cannot be
disposed of in the field is hiked out in sealed containers andincinerated at waste facilities to ensure this species is not spreading
through the transportation of green waste. Locations with highpopulation densities in these two areas are chemically treated using atruck mounted power-sprayer or precision helicopter spray with low
concentrations of non-toxic herbicides. All other plants are handpulled and hung securely to dry out roots leading to plant death.
Within KTA, OISC marks densley populated locations for follow-up
treatment by the Army Natural Resources Program (ANRP), and within
Kahana, OISC staff aerially treat high-density areas.
Some devil weed infestations on Oʿahu are now too large for OISC to be able to eradicate this species
island-wide. Therefore, OISC has partnered with the Army Natural Ressources Program (ANRP), theDepartment of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) and the
Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculturre (HDOA) to test a biocontrol agent for future release. This gallforming fly, Cecidochares connexa, has been released within several other pacific countries as a means
to help control devil weed and has shown promising results. Currently, this biocontrol agent isundergoing host-specificity testing at the Pacific Basic Agricultural Research Center’s (PBARC) biocontrol
facility in Hilo.
In combatting the spread of this tenacious species, OISC will continue to focus efforts on the edges of
the infestation zones and move forward with supporting the biocontrol process. In total across Oʻahu,
OISC controlled 154 mature plants and 10,518 immature across 1,536 survey acres in 2021.

Rapid ʿŌhiʿa Death (Ceratocystis huliohia and Ceratocystis lukuohia):
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) is a forest disease caused by two species of fungal pathogen within the genus
Ceratocystis. The pathogens have killed ʿōhiʿa trees across thousands of acres on Hawaiʻi Island. So far,only the less virulent of the two
Staff collecting sample of a
species (C. huliohia) has been
symptomatic ʻōhiʻa tree.
detected on Oʿahu. Utilizing highresolution aerial imagery and datacollected during biannual
reconnasiance helicopter flights, OISC
and its partners collect wildland
samples of the most symptomaticand safely accessible trees. A total of
8 trees since 2019 have tested
positive for C. huliohia, and of thethree positive detections in 2021,
two came from the Nuʿuanu Trailnear the Pauoa Flats junction and one

4from a residence in a Kāneʻohe neighborhood. The Kāneʻohe detection was reported when a member ofthe public called OISC to report dead or dying ʻōhiʻa, highlighting the succesful outreach efforts and theeffect of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) press releases.
In order to maintain a robust early detection and rapid response effort for ROD, OISC co-leads the Oʻahu
ROD working group with staff from DOFAW, CGAPS, and ANRP. This working group implements
strategies determined at the statewide level and addresses any island-specific considerations forresponse. Distributing sampling efforts between multiple partner agencies allows for a more complete
effort across multiple land-ownerships to ensure that all safely accesible symptomatic trees are
sampled. In 2021, OISC facilitated bimonthly meetings and will continue to co-lead this multi-agency
partnership.
In 2021, OISC performed early detection surveys over 223,115 acres of Oʻahu’s ʻōhiʻa forest by groundand air. Forest health surveys using the United States Forest Service Digital Mobile Sketch Mapping(DMSM) software allowed for two full island-wide surveys across 223,085 acres of ʿōhiʿa forest
throughout the Koʻolau and Waiʻanae Ranges. Additionally, staff surveyed 70 acres of Oʿahu trails andtreated 2 of the 3 positive C. huliohia detections. The third positive detection, one of two along theNuʻuanu trail, was treated by staff at DOFAW since the tree was located on State Forest Reserve land.
The work on Oʻahu is part of a statewide effort that is conducting early detection using the same
methodology on all islands and is done in close cooperation with the Koʿolau Mountains WatershedPartnership (KMWP), DOFAW, and other partner agencies. In total, OISC collected 33 samples ofsymptomatic ʿōhiʿa, including 25 samples from 21 public reports of dead or dying ʿōhiʿa trees.

Cape Ivy (Delairea odorata)
Cape ivy invades dry forests on the Big Island and can smother native plants. The OISC crew has beenmonitoring and controlling a cape ivy infestation in Pālehua in the Waiʻanae Mountains since 2009.
Through persistent treatment, the infestation has been drastically reduced from patches that were too
numerous to count to only 8 individual immature plants and zero mature plants. In total, OISC surveyed
52 acres at known sites across the 100-acre region in 2021, removing 8 immature plants.
A table showing the decline in plants is shown below:
Year

MatureImmature

Acres

2021

0

8

52.80

2020

0

27

85.65

2019

0

44

79.46

2018

0

150

78.85

2017

1

503

217.59

2016

1

1,365

291.36

2015

6

1,384

126.11

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Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor; syn: Rubus armeniacus)
Himalayan blackberry is a thorny vine that is a serious problem in the Pacific Northwest. OISC staff havebeen told that it was planted on public land by a resident of Pālolo for fruits and to dissuade trespassers.
It has since spread up the valley into the native ʻōhiʻa forest, threatening the native species there.
Himalayan blackberry is difficult to control since it is resistant to available herbicides and re-grows easily
from cut stems and roots. Despite these challenges, OISC has drastically reduced Himalayan blackberry
numbers. Staggered chemical treatments reduced population numbers enough that OISC now focuseson manual removal for this species. OISC conducted 32 acres of ground surveys in 2021 at known
accesible sites. OISC has reduced the number of Himalayan blackberry from 2,724 plants in 2008 to only
4 immature plants in 2021.
A table and graph demonstrating the decline in plant numbers is shown below:

Action Year

MatureImmature

Acres

Total People Hours

2017

0

23

58.23

485

2018

0

5

29.28

248

2019

0

7

28.76

184

2020

0

4

33.11

240

2021

0

4

32.73

250

Himalayan lackberry treated 2003-2021
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

Mauʻumae Total PlantsWaiʻōmaʻo Total Plants

6Cane Ti: (Tibouchina herbacea)
Cane ti threatens priority native watershed habitat in Poamoho,
an area in the northern Koʻolau Range. ANRP staff discovered
the highly invasive cane ti (Tibouchina herbacea) in the Poamoho
region in 2008. This aggressive weed was not known to benaturalized on O‘ahu, but it is widespread on both Hawai‘i islandand Maui where it is beyond the scope of eradication. On theseislands, cane ti forms dense thickets that crowd out native plant
growth and can proliferate in pockets of intact native forest. In
2021, OISC surveyed 261 acres by ground and air, controlling a
total of 12 mature and 392 immature plants within the Poamoho
region.
Field staff conducted aerial helicopter surveys across 237 acreson the windward side of the Poamoho summit to delimit outlier
populations and inform aerial treatment locations in areas
inaccessible by ground. Utilizing the helicopter precision spot
spray method, OISC treated these outlier populations in early2022 and that data will be included in the FY22 report. Bothaerial and ground operations are conducted in conjunction with
the Natural Ecosystems Management & Protection (NEPM)
sector of DOFAW, and staff from KMWP.

Field staff examining freshly
pulled cane ti immature.

EARLY DETECTION & RAPID RESPONSE
Early-detection and rapid-response (EDRR) is a critical component for the biosecurity of our island andour state. Despite funding shortfalls in 2020 and 2021, OISC continues to fill a crucial role in EDRR
activites for Oʻahu. Mostly through outreach until more funding becomes available, OISC fields public
reports of target and high-priority pests and responds either with direct field intervention or delegation
to partner agencies.
Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata):
OISC conducts early detection surveys via trap
checks for Africanized bees at Daniel K. Inouye
International Airport in Honolulu as part of acollaborative statewide effort coordinated by the
Māmalu Poepoe Program. Māmalu Poepoe is apartnership between the Hawaiʻi Department ofTransportation (HDOT) and the Hawaiʻi Invasive
Species Council (HISC) to conduct early detectionof high-priority pests at Hawaiʻi airports. OISC
conducted trap checks for this species once permonth during what historically has been the low
bee activity season (October – April) and twice permonth when bee activity tends to increase (May –September). This strategy resulted in a total of 11

OISC staff checking
swarm traps forbee activity.

7

traps checked a total of 20 times and OISC staff did notdetect any Africanized honeybees in 2021.

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros)
Coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) is currently limited toOʿahu and a separate CRB response team is taking the leadfor the response. OISC assists with tree surveys and trap
checks at the Daniel K. Inouye Interntional Airport in
Honolulu to supplement the island-wide effort. CRB
damage can kill coconut and other palms and is a
widespread problem on neighboring Pacific Islands. In
2021, OISC conducted 13 trap checks and conducted 1
palm survey to check for beetle damage, confirming that
CRB has not yet been detected at this international travel
hub.
OISC staff holding Coconut
Little Fire Ant (LFA) (Wasmannia auropunctata)
Rhinoceros
Beetle larva during staff
LFA is a tiny stinging ant that is established on Hawaiʻi
training.
Island and was accidentally introduced to Oʻahu in two
separate locations. OISC has primarily focused on outreachfor this species since 2019, but does assist HDOA and HAL with field survey and treatments on occasion.
In 2021, OISC assisted in 15 surveys island-wide, mostly along the windward coast. The primary
responding agency for LFA survey and control, the Hawaii Ant Lab (HAL), faced budget and capacity
shortfalls in the face of increasing LFA populations. Until more funding can be secured for LFA survey
and control, OISC outreach staff will continue assisting HAL as much as possible to stifle the spread of
this injurious pest.

Coqui Frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui)
OISC provides monitoring support to the HDOA for early detection of coqui frogs by responding to public
reports and passing on that information along to appropriate points of contact. Coqui frogs can bestowaways on plants and other items such as vehicles, boats and construction materials from areas on
Hawaiʻi Island with large coqui frog populations. Whenever possible, OISC assists with response to thesepublic reports on Oʻahu through coordinated monitoring and subsequent control efforts with HDOA
staff. In 2021, OISC was not awarded funding for coqui frog operations and was not asked to assist in
any operations by HDOA or other partners. However, a wildland population was detected by HDOA staff
in the Waimānalo forest. OISC consulted with HDOA, DLNR, and HISC to begin establishing a strategic
response to the newly discovered infestation. Future effort for these species will be dependent upon
funding and collabortion with state agencies.

8A spatial overview of all OISC field operations taking place across Oʻahu.

9

OISC OUTREACH ANNUAL REPORTOISC staff conducting outreach at one of the few in-person events in 2021.

10

OISC FY21 OUTREACHOISC recognizes that outreach is integral tosuccessful invasive species management. OISC
needs public support so that we can gain access tothe private property we need to survey so that
our eradication efforts are truly island-wide. OISC
target species can easily be transported anywhereon the island, so we need the public to be extra
eyes and ears to watch and listen for any outlier
populations. We also want to educate and informthe public on ways that they can aid our control
and eradication efforts. For example, buying noninvasive plants and washing gear and equipment(especially boots) goes a long way towards
preventing invasive species introductions.
The OISC outreach program is dedicated topromoting our mission to prevent, detect anderadicate invasive species on O‘ahu throughpresentations to area schools and communities,
creating and distributing educational materials, conducting regular volunteer trips when allowable
under COVID-19 guidelines (severely limited in 2021), and by working with partner organizations’outreach efforts. The total audience reached for OISC in 2021 was 50,881. This is an increase from33,918 in 2020, demonstrating that our efforts are climbing back up to pre-pandemic levels even withthe limited in-person outreach opportunities and volunteer outings.
The Outreach Program also works to secure access for the field crew to conduct surveys on private
property. There are two members of the outreach team; Public Outreach Coordinator and the Outreach& Education Associate. While our Public Outreach Coordinator supervises all outreach activities and isprimarily responsible for facilitating access permission and scheduling volunteer and tabling events, ourOutreach & Education Associate manages OISC social media efforts across all platforms and focuses onschool presentations and activities, including the Hoʻike program to educate students about Little Fire
Ants.
Similar to our 2020-adapted efforts, the OISC outreach program operated differently in 2021 than inprevious years due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In 2020 most outreach activites
were quickly and successfully converted online in the absence of in-person outreach due togovernmental guidelines; however, some were not. In 2021 OISC outreach staff continued delivering
presentations through web-based platforms like Zoom and Demio, created interactive webinars,
published virtual outreach tools and worksheets to the OISC website, and expanded OISC’s social media
footprint. Although outreach staff were still unable to host volunteer outings in 2021, the creation of
the Devil Weed Crew allowed for volunteers to operate more indpendently and report data back to our11outreach staff for trail surveys.

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Since our outreach efforts have shifted substantially since March of 2020, an annual comparison to prepandemic outreach provides some historical context to our outreach goals. On average, outreach totals
approximately 50,000 annually. It is important to keep in mind that these are estimates and we haveincluded caveats at the bottom of the graph that include significant unique events that have been
excluded since they do not occur each year.
The most common outreach types for both promoting OISC strategic messaging and for fundraising are:events, community presentations, school visits, social media, website, and volunteer activities. The"bonus" outreach types are written articles, radio/tv interviews, print advertisments, and distributing
outreach products. While the latter gets a wider audience and higher numbers, the outreach quality
lends more to exposure of issues rather than comprehension of why it's an issue and the actions needed
to mitigate those concerns. On most occasions, bonus outreach types, such as written articles and onair interviews, coincide with specific events like an early detection of a target species in a new location
or in conjuction with a more broad statewide or island-wide efforts that include efforts from multiple
partner agencies.
Used in combination, these types of messaging can be quite effective in generating desirable outcomes,
whether that be reporting, supporting state and municipal initiatives, garnering access for field
operations or for important individual actions like decontamination practices. Comparing the types ofoutreach that OISC conducts each year allows us to identify trends and make improvements for future
efforts.

The drop OISC messaging reach for in-person outreach began in 2019. Even though we attended 37
events in 2019, an increase from 30 events in 2018, the average attendance at these events decreased
in 2019 from approximately 168 per event to 70 per event. The trend of smaller audiences carried overto presentations as well. Staff delivered 16 presentations in 2019, compared to the 14 in 2018, but theavgerage audience in 2019 was 33, down from 57 in 2018. The slight downward trend in school visits isnominal with a difference of only 63 students.

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As OISC continues to analyze and make improvements in our outreach program, we believe that thereturn to in-person events after years of restrictions and the ability for staff to perpetuate the virtual
outreach tools developed during the pandemic in conjunction with in-person events will result inincreased reach for outreach messaging. The sharpest drop in all areas was due to COVID restrictions
cancelling in-person activities, beginning in 2020. These restrictions continued into 2021 as declines inpresentations and events as shown in the graph, however attendance for school visits began increasing
as schools quickly incorporated virtual platforms into their curriculums.

The addition of the Outreach & Education Associate has allowed for an expanded focus on social media,
which has been crucial as OISC outreach shifted to online and virtual messaging as a result of Covid-19.
The drop in website traffic is likely due to its mobile accessibility and it's overdue for a formatting
update to make the website more mobile-friendly. OISC will incorporate the lessons learned from thevirtual outreach world over the last two years and integrate the most useful tools into our outreachstrategy moving forward. As the community continues to move toward a more virtual and online
presence in general, OISC will continue developing tools and messaging to stay ahead of the curve andkeep up with public demand.
OISC volunteer opportunities have seen the largest reduction since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic
and the subsequent restrictions limiting in-person outreach. Historically, OISC has hosted volunteer
outings at Lyon Arboretum for two species, Ardisia virens and Stromanthe tonckat, as well as regularoutings at the Pūpūkea-Paumalū State Recreation Area for devil weed. OISC suspended all volunteer
activities in 2020 and this suspension continued throughout 2021 for OISC-hosted events.
In order to maintain our volunteer effort for devil weed, outreach staff launched the Devil Weed Crew
citizen science project in February of 2021. This project allows volunteers to operate independently andon their on schedule to survey, control, and collect data regarding devil weed without the in-fieldguidance of our outreach staff. As devil weed continues to spread, OISC opened this project up toisland-wide trail surveys in order to bolster our early-detection and rapid-response efforts for outlier
populations of this species.

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In 2020, all 22 volunteers participated in OISC outings prior to the establishment of pandemic
restrictions. The Devil Weed Crew allowed OISC to maintain some level of volunteer support that had
not occurred in almost a year. OISC staff facilitates this program through an active Facebook group thathas grown to 54 members since its inception. In addtion to the five YouTube tutorials posted, ouroutreach department created a field guide that we mail to interested volunteers in order to help themdifferentiate between similar species and remind volunteers of the data collection and survey
procedures. Volunteers use the AllTrails free mobile application on their phones to record tracklogs,
plant locations, and populations numbers. These figures are then collected by outreach staff andentered into our database. In 2021, volunteers surveyed 254 miles across 26 trails, removing 196
mature and 1,054 immature plants from Oʻahu watersheds.

As the organizational lead for Little Fire Ant outreach on Oʻahu, OISC continues to participate in theisland-wide working group, Hawaiʻi Stop the Ant Month, and leads the Hoʻike school activities.
Outreach staff create and distribute testing kits across the island, help to identify ant samples, deliverpresentations, inform legislators of LFA detections and response actions, and facilitate species
identification with students and community groups. In the wake of reduced capacity for our partner15

agency HAL, outreach staff also assist with surveying suspect sites and interagency treatment
operations. In total OISC received 393 inquires pertaining to ants in 2021, and the 156 ant sample
submissions resulted in two positive detections for Little Fire Ants.
October is “Stop the Ant” month in Hawaiʻi, and in 2021 OISC supported this statewide effort byadvertising through social media and QR codes for free test kit requests in the Sunday edition of the Star
Advertiser and MidWeek. Staff distributed 370 test kits to Oʻahu stores, includeing Home Depot,Koʻolau Farmers, and Ace Hardware. OISC mailed decorative “Stop the Ant” tumblers as prizes to 20
random selectees who sumbitted ants for testing and sent letters to all legislators and councilmembers
as part of the month-long campaign. In October, outreach staff reached 52 community members
through two events at Sea Life Park’s “Spook Life Park” and Kapiolani Community College’s Virtual STEM
Fest. Staff also conducted two school visits in October at Chaminade University and Kalaheo high school
career fairs, reaching 77 Oʻahu students.
Compared to only 13 samples submitted as a result of Stop the Ant month in 2020, a total of 102
samples were submitted in October (76 samples) and November (26 samples) of 2021. Of thesesubmissions, 56 requested a kit by mail and 84 used an already obtained or pre-made kit. OISC mailed a
total of 351 testing kits on Oʻahu alone.

The Litle Fire Ant Hoʻike activity has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, mostly due to the restriction of
the in-class activity that accompanies the presentation. As restrictions loosen and schools retrun to inperson learning, we expect an increase in reach and engagement. In 2021, OISC presented the activity

16

to 8 schools across the island, reaching 343 students and garnering 194 student samples. This yeilded a
65% return rate for student submitted ant samples.
The OISC Outreach program fills a crucial component in the island’s early-detection and rapid-response
capacity. Staff regularly field calls, emails, and social media inquires from the public about suspected
OISC targets and other noteworthy invasive species. For species identified or not suspected to be OISC
targets, OISC directs the reports HDOA for follow-up. Our outreach staff also continues to direct certain
reporters to the 643-PEST phone number and 643Pest.org website for public pest reports whenapplicable. In 2021, OISC received a total of 79 public pest reports. The majority of these reports were
for coqui frogs and suspected Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death.

Similar to 2020, access permission requests in 2021 were lower than pre-pandemic levels. This is adirect result of the suspension of our miconia “Door-to-Door” operations. In order to comply withgovernmental and university restrictions, OISC put the surveying of small residential properties on-hold17

to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spread between
community members and OISC staff. Additionally, theincreased search area resulting from a buffer
expansion in the Maunawili region diverted our fieldcrews to this location more than anticipated. In total,
OISC requested access from 104 landowners via 334
emails, phone calls, letters, and text messages. Of
these requests, only 4% of property owners denied
OISC crews access to their lands.
Social Media continues to be a critical tool for delivering important
OISC messaging to the community. Our outreach team posts avarity of content across our social media channels to increase
engagement and expand our audience, both in terms of diversity
and amount. While social media has become invaluable for ouroutreach efforts due to the needed transition to virtual efforts as aresult of the pandemic, we will continue to focus on social media
even as in-person outreach continues to open. A more robust social
media presences will continue to be a key component of OISC’s
robust outreach program moving into the future.
OISC relies mostly on Instagram and Facebook as the primarychannels to deliver the majority of our content; however, in 2021
OISC continued to bolster our footprint on YouTube and created a
TikTok account to engage the younger demographic. OISC also
continues to use Twitter, albeit at a reduced capacity as compared to our other social media platforms.
In total, OISC posted a total of 428 times across all platforms. OISC has a regular social media audienceof over 4,000 individuals, but through Instagram and Facebook specifically, our messaging reached atotal of 86,866 accounts.
Instagram continues to establish itself as our best platform
to engage with the public online. OISC’s fan base has grownsteadily in 2021 for a net gain of 626 new followers. The
goal for our outreach department is to reach 3,000
followers through a variety of posts. Posts with easily
shareable graphics, staff photos, and target species
identification through iSpy photos has led to four times
more engagment than Facebook. Moving forward our staff
will continue to establish our instagram presence throughpopular posts and collaborations with our partner agencies.

18Despite Instagram’s prowess in terms of online engagement,
Facebook allows our messaging to reach more people. OISC’s
Facebook audience tend interact less with content than on
Instagram, but the platforms ability to expand our network is
a vital component to our social media strategy. In 2021, OISC
reached over 48,000 Facebook accounts. For scale, that
number is approximately equivalent to 5% of the population
on Oʻahu. While not all interactions are with Oʻahu residents,
it demonstrates how important this channel is for ouroutreach efforts in terms of magnitude. Sharing posts with more information, like important finds fortarget species or staff changes and accolades, work well on Facebook. Any posts with more information
to read or links tend to garner more engagement on this platform than others.

For both YouTube and TikTok outreach staff will continue to post more frequently, study analytics, andgrow our audience engagement and followers. OISC presentations will be more regularly added toYouTube along with an OISC Overview video and more species identification guides. Despite a low
number of subscribers, OISC benefited from a 167% growth rate in 2021. This platform provides ourorganization with a repository for any video related content that can be easily accessed at will bycommunity members. Outreach staff often share links to our YouTube videos and account via other19

social media posts. In terms of TikTok, OISC will focus mainly on posting more and keeping content
simple and straight-forward to grow the audience base.

20