CTAHR Cooperative Extension was in charge of the educational program for the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaiʻi (LICH) 2024 Green Industry Conference—and we delivered it! The conference was a success, with a roster of more than 20 presenters offering 16 sessions, 17 exhibitors (including outdoor equipment demos), and over 170 attendees. Held Oct. 10 at the Koʻolau Ballrooms, the Conference included three tracks: Pests, Arborists, and Nursery and Design. Continuing Education Units were available to conference attendees through the International Society of Arboriculture, the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture, and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
The Conference kicked off with keynote speaker Bob Mann, senior director of technical and regulatory affairs for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Bob explained the Endangered Species Act, the expected profound changes to the regulatory framework for pesticides, and how each and every user of pesticides in the United States will feel these effects.
As the invasive species situation is top-of-mind for all islands, the Conference featured eight sessions specific to coconut rhinoceros beetles, little fire ants, other invasive animals, invasive plants, and plant diseases. Pesticide education was another major component of the Conference, with three sessions presented by the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture Pesticide Branch and the CTAHR Cooperative Extension.
CTAHR was well-represented at the conference. Zhiqiang Cheng, PhD (Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, PEPS) provided research updates on landscape pests in Hawaiʻi. Ken Leonhardt, PhD (Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, TPSS) discussed CTAHR’s protea breeding and sterile landscape trees programs. Josh Silva and Alberto Ricordi, D Arch (TPSS, Oʻahu County) presented on pesticide safety. Ricordi also served as program chair for the Conference and gave a workshop with Jolie Dollar (Windward Community College) on how to survey and manage little fire ants in the landscape. Hannah Lutgen (TPSS, Maui County) was program co-chair and moderated the Pests track.
The 2024 Green Industry Conference was only possible because of guest speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and LICH’s staff, Board of Directors and volunteers. Please contact Alberto Ricordi at albertoh@hawaii.edu if you would like to be involved in the planning of next year’s conference, participate as a presenter, or volunteer in a session.