"Wildfires are the number one threat that we face," said Jen Lawson, Director of the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, at the April 26th Field Tour of the Waikoloa Dry Forest for HWMO's Technical Advisory Committee members.
HWMO representatives discuss options for fountain grass removal with Jen Lawson (left).
Wiliwili tree blossoms.
Over the years, HWMO has linked with Waikoloa Dry Forest to help preserve their incredible dry forest restoration project on the Kona side of Waikoloa Village. They protect "nearly half of the remaining kupuna (ancestral) wiliwili of the Waikoloa region", a number of critically endangered uhiuhi, among other endemic plant species.
A dozen or so of HWMO's Technical Advisory Committee members joined HWMO staff and board members and Mrs. Lawson to tour the beautiful preserve. TAC members, including Chief Gantry Andrade of Hawaii Fire Department, Andy Kikuta of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ross Williams of National Park Service offered their expertise regarding fire protection.
The field tour was a great way to connect our partners in a meaningful way that will hopefully prove useful for the Waikoloa Dry Forest. We plan on having these field tours each year with different sites chosen for each one. Mahalo to everyone for joining us and sharing your expertise and mahalo to Jen for being an amazing host!
