David Y. Ige

The 2500 acre Nanakuli wildfire destroyed or damaged rare plants in the Native Hawaiian dryland and mesic (medium-wet) forests of the Nanakuli Valley. Fire is one of the primary threats to the continued existence of rare plants and animals.  Others include drought, insects, weeds and disease. Learn whether or not the last remaining na’u or Gardenia brighamii, growing in the wild on Oahu survived?  Forest managers, conservationists and cultural practitioners will discuss the importance of doing everything possible to save plants like the na’u and other native, rare species, in some cases, now on the brink of extinction.

What:

News Conference/Media Availability

When:

Wed. March 30, 2016

11:00 a.m.

Where:

Lyman Ranch, Nanakuli

(at the end of Nanakuli Road0

Who:

• Marigold Zoll, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife
• Susan Ching, Hawaii Plant Extinction Prevention Program
• Sam Gon, The Nature Conservancy
• Pauline Sato, Malama Learning Center

Resources:

Links to HD video, photographs and to a video news release will be distributed at the news conference.

Media Contacts:

Dan Dennison                                                                         Deborah Ward

Senior Communications Manager                                          Communications Specialist

(808) 587-0407                                                                       (808) 587-0320

[email protected]                                                 [email protected]