5/28/25 – COMMUNITY MEMBERS HONORED DURING INVASIVE SPECIES AWARENESS MONTH

COMMUNITY MEMBERS HONORED DURING INVASIVE SPECIES AWARENESS MONTH

Governor and State Leaders Celebrate Contributions that Protect Hawaiʻi from Invasive Species

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HONOLULU – As the culmination of a month-long series of public webinars and volunteer events designed to raise awareness about the impacts of invasive species in Hawaiʻi, today Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed the official proclamation declaring May “Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Month (HISAM).” In celebration of HISAM, Green and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) honored community members and local businesses helping to fight invasive species.

“The essence of our shared kuleana is to safeguard Hawaiʻi from the devastating impacts of invasive species. They compromise our forests, reefs, native plants and wildlife, agriculture, and even our health and water. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the problem of invasive species,” said DLNR Chair Dawn Chang, who also co-chairs the interagency HISC. “But this month, HISAM, is about hope and the people and organizations who rise to meet these challenges with passion, commitment and aloha.”

The 2025 awards recognize an “MVP” who has made substantial contributions to this work on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui Nui, and Hawaiʻi Island, as well as winners in the statewide categories “Business Leader,” “Community Hero” and “Greatest Hit.”  The 2025 awardees include:

• Business Leader: Aloha Termite and Pest Control for its leadership in combatting the little fire ant and how the private sector can play a critical role in invasive species management.
• Community Hero: Haleakalā Ranch for protecting rangelands and native ecosystems from invasive species while producing local food and stewarding large open spaces on Maui.
• Greatest Hit: Trenton Yasu for his rapid and professional response to a 643pest.org report involving freshwater eels, a restricted aquatic species.
• Hawaiʻi Island MVP: Kiane Prietto for her outstanding dedication to invasive species education and community outreach.
• Maui Nui MVP: Mike Opgenorth for his leadership in conservation, outreach and invasive species response in East Maui.
• Oʻahu MVP: Thomas Griego for being a proactive community member, by leading outreach and access coordination for little fire ants in Lanikai, which helped crews overcome major obstacles and continue control efforts.
• Kauaʻi MVP: Work It Out Kauaʻi (Jenny and Jasmine Kaohelauliʻi) for their creative and sustained commitment to invasive species outreach through fashion, media and community engagement.

This year’s HISAM theme, “What’s at Risk: from Mauka to Makai,” featured a series of live educational webinars from local invasive species experts, recordings of which are now available on the HISC website. Webinar topics this year included creating new habitat for critically endangered bird species, controlling coqui frogs on Maui and community engagement in invasive species management.

Though HISAM is nearing an end, the challenge of invasive species is year-round. The community can continue to help prevent and manage invasive species by reporting pests to 643-PEST or 643pest.org, cleaning off shoes and equipment before entering the forest and cleaning boats and marine equipment before use.

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RESOURCES

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

Video – HISAM awards, Governor Josh Green, M.D., signing HISAM proclamation (May 28, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/95cz8qwmyngv6hslx13n7/HISAM-Awards-and-proclamation-May-28-2025.mov?rlkey=amayz9r77cd12jebu5xvtkojh&st=lw3oa90u&dl=0

Photos – HISAM awards, Governor Josh Green, M.D., signing HISAM proclamation (May 28, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8sbo5l600i0p3fap7hxd1/ADX_wR5A9Hy2dvrZPMFcyAs?rlkey=wabyviqecsvw8z5rocy2fmrtv&st=haogcy1x&dl=0

HISAM 2025 webinar recordings and award videos: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/hisam2025/

Media contact:

Patti Jette

Communications Specialist

Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawai‘i

Email: [email protected]