Oahu Invasive Species Committee

08/24/2026

Can you spot the CRB damage on these trees?

When you think of coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) damage, you might picture coconut trees growing near the coast. But CRB can be found at higher elevations too. These coconut trees found high above Waimānalo show damage from CRB.

Are you concerned about CRB on your property? Visit https://www.crbhawaii.org/community for free resources like netting and other treatment methods.

08/19/2026

The crew might spend most of their days outdoors, but every field day starts and ends at a computer. 💻

While out in the field, our crew is constantly collecting data: where they’re working, where they find invasive plants, how many they find, what they control, and important notes about the area.

Once they’re back, all that information gets logged into our GIS and database. That data helps us keep track of our work, see where invasive species are spreading, measure our progress, and plan where we need to focus next.

Here is a quick look back at our crew entering and managing field data over the years.

08/12/2026

Protecting Oʻahu's forests is a team effort. A few months ago, our partners at the Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership () spotted and reported a miconia plant during their fieldwork. We are thankful they had a keen eye and caught it before it became a bigger problem!

Whether you're a conservation partner, hiker, landowner, or someone exploring the outdoors, you can help slow the spread of invasive species like miconia by reporting it to 643pest.org (link in bio).

08/10/2026

Volunteer Alert! We need your help!

We’re heading back to the Pūpūkea-Paumalū trail system on Saturday, August 22 to tackle several devil w**d hotspots, and we need a crew to help us get the job done!
Devil w**d is an aggressive invasive plant that spreads quickly, with seeds that can hitchhike to new areas. By removing plants before they have a chance to spread, you’re helping protect Oʻahu’s forests and keep this invasive w**d from taking hold in new places.

🤝 In partnership with the Adopt-a-Park Program
🗓️ Saturday, August 22 (9am - 1pm)
🔗 Sign-up required: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QJDD9QS
👕 Volunteer with us 3 times and earn a FREE Devil W**d Crew T-shirt! Check out the last photo to see a volunteer who earned their shirt last month.

Mahalo to last month’s crew! Together, volunteers surveyed about 4.3 miles of trail and removed 175 immature devil w**d plants. 🙌

08/07/2026

Coqui frogs are famous for their loud "ko-KEE" call. Think you are hearing a coqui frog? If heard on O’ahu please report it to 643pest.org.

Think you can catch a coqui frog? Find more information about volunteer opportunities in….

Waimānalo: https://dlnr.ivolunteer.com/ #3 or Pālolo email [email protected]

08/07/2026

Who's ready for another school year?

One of our favorite parts of the year is bringing our Hōʻike Little Fire Ant program to classrooms across Oʻahu.

Since 2014, students have helped us collect more than 5,000 ant samples while learning how to identify Little Fire Ants and protect Hawaiʻi's unique environment. Together, we've reached over 9,000 students, and we're excited to inspire even more young conservationists this school year.

You can visit https://www.oahuisc.org/hoike-little-fire-ant-activity/ to learn more. See you in the classroom! 🍎🐜🌿

07/31/2026

Our video editing skills are what keep people coming back for more. 😆

07/29/2026

Raise your hand if you have ever spent more than 30 minutes picking these seeds off your pants! We have!

At one of our volunteer days in Pūpūkea, we stepped off the trail for what we thought would be a quick shortcut. A few minutes later, our pants were covered in hundreds of tiny desmodium seed pods.

As annoying as they are, those stickers are actually an ingenious way for the plant to spread. Each seed pod is designed to cling to clothing, shoes, pets, and wildlife, hitching a ride to new places.

In Hawai’i, we have species of Desmodium that are considered low risk and ones that are considered invasive: Desmodium incanum and Desmodium intortum are both considered invasive species, but are also valued as highly palatable pasture species.

07/24/2026

Hear a "co-QUI?" It could be an invasive coqui frog. These frogs can hitchhike on plants and hatch as fully formed frogs, skipping the tadpole stage. Record the call and report it to 643pest.org.

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/video/2026/07/24/coqui-frogs-resurface-kauai-after-eradication-public-urged-report-sightings/

The Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC) says it has received seven reports of suspected coqui frog sightings this month.

07/24/2026

Last week, our staff had the opportunity to attend the 2026 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference!

We spent the week learning, connecting, and sharing laughs with conservation professionals from across the pae ʻāina. Mahalo to everyone who made it such an inspiring event!