Secure your place at the Invasive Species Conference at Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii island on August 22–23! Many members of the CTAHR ‘ohana will be giving presentations on topics from pests of trees as small as the fungus that causes ROD and as big as the coconut rhinoceros beetle; novel ways to deal with invasives such as allowing their natural predators to attack them or using them for compost; and infesters of iconic Hawai‘i crops such as coffee and macadamia nuts.

Wildland fire expert and 2019 winner of the Excellence in Extension award Clay Trauernicht (NREM) was recently interviewed by Noe Tanigawa on Hawai‘i Public Radio’s Planet 808 show about the increasing danger of wildfire in the Islands and its connection with climate change.

Middle school students explored veterinary science as a possible career in a week-long 4-H Veterinary Science Day Camp conducted by Hawai‘i County 4-H Extension agent Becky Settlage in Hilo in July. CTAHR’s Extension veterinarian Jenee Odani, local and state veterinarians, and a couple of UH student assistants also helped to lead the program. With their love of animals and desire to help them, the thirteen youth had a strong interest in this career, and this program definitely increased their interest!

Natto…people love it or they hate it. Making natto is a good way to preserve soybeans, add nutritional content, create a value-added product, and produce a distinctive flavor and texture that some swear by…and others swear about. Participants at the recent natto workshop at the Pearl City Urban Garden Center were decidedly of the former camp, eagerly tasting different preparations of the sometimes-slithery fermented soybean condiment and learning how to make it themselves.

Maui County 4-H agent Nancy Ooki and state 4-H program leader Jeff Goodwin will be recognized at the annual meeting of the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents in November. Nancy will be recognized in two award categories, as the Western Region winner for the Communicator Award in the Educational Piece category and for the Excellence in Educational Technology Specialty Award. Jeff will be recognized as a national winner in the Published Photo category of Communicator Awards.