Protect ʻŌhiʻa This Merrie Monarch Season!

As we enter this 2019 Merrie Monarch season, celebrating Hawaiian culture through dance, stories, and songs, help us take care of our beloved ʻōhiʻa trees and forests throughout Hawaiʻi.

1. If you plan to visit the forests on Hawaiʻi Island, be sure to clean your shoes and gear before and after entering forests.

2. Need materials to decontaminate? Email us at ohialove@hawaii.edu or call 808-969-8268 to request your FREE Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death decontamination kit. 

3. Be sure to get a permit if you plan to collect foliage on federal or state lands.

4. Tread lightly in the forest! Avoid stepping on ʻōhiʻa roots or injuring ʻōhiʻa in other ways. Any break in the bark can allow ROD-causing fungus to enter and infect the tree.

5. Keep all ʻōhiʻa on Hawaiʻi Island. If you wish to hoʻihoʻi (return) your lei materials to the forest, you may safely do so in forests located onSaddle Road (between the 12 and 16 mile markers) or along Stainback Highway (3 miles from Highway 11 along Stainback Hwy to N. Kūlani Intersection) within 20 feet in from the forest edge. Please remember to remove any non-biodegradable materials from lei.

If you cannot hoʻihoʻi on your own, we invite you to leave your materials in provided baskets at any of the following locations between April 24th and April 29th:

Division of Forestry & Wildlife Office, 19 E. Kawili St., Hilo, HI 96720

Hilo & Kona Airports, Plant Quarantine Kiosks

Hawaii Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Offices

~Our ROD Outreach Team will returrn all materials respectfully to the forests of Hawaiʻi Island.