The beautiful Lantana camara was introduced to Hawaii in 1858 as an ornamental shrub, and by the early 1900’s was recognized as a noxious pest plant as it spread into pastures and forests across the Hawaiian islands. 24 different insects from its home range in Central America were introduced to Hawaii as biological control agents, and a few decades later, eight of these natural enemies to lantana had established here, and brought the population under control. Not only do its thorny stems rip into flesh and its leaves poison livestock, but it is allelopathic, secreting toxins that depress biodiversity by inhibiting germination of other plants’ seeds. No wonder we want to eliminate this shrub from our native plant sanctuary, eh?

Next Saturday, the “rainbow sherbet” flowers of lantana–that have sprung up with all the recent rains–will guide us to our targets. Using picks and gloved hands, we will pull up the remaining lantana in the Koiaʻa Tree Sanctuary, where over the past five years we have nearly eliminated this nasty weed. BE SURE to wear a long-sleeved shirt for protection from thorns, and wear boots or sturdy shoes. There is work for all levels of volunteers—come one, come all!

Bring along your lunch and a water bottle and meet us at The Kohala Center office at 8:30 a.m. We will carpool to the Koai’a Tree Sanctuary, work through the morning, then take lunch under Grandmother ʻŌhiʻa. As always, we provide tools, gloves, and drinking water. We will return to Waimea by 2:30 p.m.

Please RSVP by Thursday, 9/24/15 via email.