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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"It's the thought that counts.","type":"text"}]

I Stock 184655693

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Introducing the "loose" shaka</title>

In today's social media find, krystilez demonstrates a shaka so minimal it barely exists.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Introducing the "loose" shaka

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Rick Hamada

Government & Politics

Columnists

[{"type":"text","text":"There was an early morning phone call which was quite unusual."}]

Both Bernadette and I were in the news and information business but rarely did the phone ring at such an hour.

Berna's sister, Angie, was serving her term as Miss America 2001 and was, literally, traveling the world.

[{"type":"text","text":"It was Angie on the line."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Turn the TV on. We're at war\""}]

She was calling Hawai‘i family and friends from LAX, told us, prayed with us and called others.

[{"type":"text","text":"The images broadcast was startling, even on the brink of surreal."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The World Trade Center in New York City was in flames enveloped in smoke."}]

Bernadette bolted to our son, Zachary's room, took him from his crib and held him while we watched quietly, sadly as the pictures and the narration told the story of what was believed to be a terrorist attack on our country.

There are times when the conversation about September 11, 2001, among friends or others when the inevitable question is asked, "Where were you on 9/11?"

I was in a high-rise condominium in the developing Kaka‘ako neighborhood with my family.

[{"type":"text","text":"How about you?"}]

Occupational necessity took me to the studios on KHVH Radio where my team and I were on the air for over 30 hours of broadcast. News updates, announcements, authority directives, but primarily the taking of telephone calls from listeners around the state. It was an accurate reflection of the national sentiment ranging from shock to incredulity to grieving to anger and even fear. As the day turned night and night turned into another day, the prominent expressions were, "Are we next?" to "We need to find and bomb those bastards!" with a few things in between.

But the prevailing question filled with so much emotion was, "How could this happen?"

[{"type":"text","text":"This is what we know that happened."}]

The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by the militant group al-Qaeda in the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"italic"},{"type":"underline"}],"text":"The Attacks"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"italic"},{"type":"underline"}],"text":"Casualties and Impact"}]

The United States and the entire world changed on that day. The War on Iraq, the global war on terrorism, the authorization of unilateral military action, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, The Patriot Act and so much more changed the tone, tenor, and activities of the federal government and the U.S. military, at home and abroad.

There are debates and discussions, legal actions and court decisions and other contributions to the divisiveness in America today when polar opposites have strident yet non-negotiable positions. There are those who firmly and absolutely believe at 9/11 was an inside job. That our own government orchestrated the entire 9/11 attacks using patsies from the Middle East to conflate fear amongst Americans for their own agenda. Even the release of the 9/11 Commission investigative findings generated more questions than answers further cementing the divide among citizens.

[{"type":"text","text":"Again, that is not for contemplation nor consideration today."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"America was attacked."}]

Thousands of innocents lost their lives leaving behind grieving families whose own lives came to an abrupt and tragic end. The children of victims who lost their loved one, never experiencing them in their lives as they grew into adults.

The hundreds of first responders who lived their oaths to protect lives even if it meant losing their own. And they did.

The thousands who dedicated themselves to the clean-up and restoration of New York City to their own detriment, contracting lifelong debilitating health issues, even leading some to their own deaths.

Finally, my focus on this 25th Anniversary of 9/11 includes the remembrances of those from and connected to Hawai‘i and their respective loved ones who are poised to relive those tragic moments and renew the inevitable grieving connected to such profound loss. As Hawai‘i News Now 

 filled his office on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center with pictures of his son, Zachary. 

, a manager at the brokerage firm, Cantor Fitzgerald. Collins was married to Leilehua High School graduate, Lissa Collins.

Four floors above them, at the "Windows on the World" restaurant, Punahou alum and rising culinary star, 

 was busy baking her special desserts. She'd always dreamed of working at the acclaimed eatery.

Sitting at a table not far away, 26-year-old 

had a morning meeting at the restaurant. A kukui nut tree grows in her memory at the valedictorian's alma mater, Kaiser high.

 was also at a meeting at the twin towers. The senior vice-president of "Marsh incorporated" had a sister, Charlotte, who used to work at Kuakini Medical Center. She's since moved away.

Also at the World Trade Center, 1979 "Our Redeemer Lutheran" graduate, 

 an executive secretary on the 96th floor of the north tower. She moved from Hawaii to New York soon after graduation.

 was a civilian budget analyst. Laychak's wife, Laurie a graduate of Hawaii Baptist Academy was teaching when a note about the attack was delivered to her classroom.

On United Airlines Flight 53, which plunged into a field in Shanksville, PA, 56-year-old grandmother and antiques dealer, 

[{"type":"text","text":"Peace to all who have suffered such tremendous loss."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"A full generation of Americans and more were not yet born on 9\/11\/2001."}]

We are responsible to educate and inform our children, and they are responsible to educate and inform their children about 9/11. It is the very least we can do because the adage, "If you don't know history, you're doomed to repeat it", certainly applies here.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Never forget.\""}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":" "}]

WTC ruin 9 11

<title>Hamada: Remembering 9/11</title>

It was about a quarter to 3 in the morning in Honolulu when the first plane hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. For many of us in the Islands, the first we heard of the attack was a strangely early morning phone call from a loved one who had seen the news. "Turn on the TV. We're at war." ASD columnist Rick Hamada describes getting such a call, then spending 30 hours on the air at KHVH as kama‘āina called in with their fears, tears and rage.

Hamada: Remembering 9/11

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — During Tuesday afternoon's sweat-soaked practice in the post-

 humidity, there was no denying that morale was low for the University of Hawaii football team, losers of two straight to begin its highly anticipated 2026 campaign. 

"You can tell when we win, there's definitely a cheerful, upbeat feel from our staff to our players. In this case, you're 0-2. The mood is what it is," head coach Timmy Chang said. "We're finding ways to get better right now, and so a lot of the understanding and talk is how do we get better? And those are tough conversations."

Entering the season, the team's high hopes hinged on star quarterback 

, who in 2026 has thrown for just 448 yards, completing his passes at a 52.2% clip (48-for-92). 

On Tuesday, Alejado was sidelined for practice with a heavily taped left calf as backup Bjorn Jurgensen took all the first-team reps, though Chang says it was for precautionary reasons in order to get Alejado additional rest. 

"Tough two games for Micah and just resting the body. He's ready to go Saturday," Chang said. "Bjorn continues to grow. Every rep he can get is just going to really help him and help us."

Contributing to Alejado's struggles in 2026 is an offensive line that appears out of sync. Alejado has already been sacked seven times in the young season and has resorted to scrambling within moments of receiving the snap dozens of times. 

"It's tough," senior center Ethan Spencer said. "It's a really tough time to go 0-2, but I think as a team and especially as a unit, I think we know that we got the guys that we need on this team. I think it's just putting pieces together and really coming together as a whole, especially on the O-line. . ... Making sure everybody can jell together, and making sure that us as the whole line can do what we gotta do to make sure we give our team a better chance."

's unit has kept the Rainbow Warriors in both games, but Stanford and UNLV both pulled away in the fourth quarter. 

"We could do better because if they didn't score 21 points, we would have won," linebacker Jamih Otis said in the team's 

 last Saturday. "I think that's just the way we look at it."

In its first two games, Hawai‘i has not has a single takeaway on defense, something that the unit understands swings momentum heavily in games. 

"The first two games we didn't have any turnovers. Definitely a goal each game is to get a turnover, and we got to practice that during this week and make it be intentional with how we practice and trying to get turnovers," safety Matagi Thompson said. 

Prior to its first bye week of the season, the Rainbow Warriors will take on New Mexico State (1-1) at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The Aggies, who began their season with a 34-17 loss at Florida State, are coming off a 51-14 rout over Mercyhurst. 

"New Mexico State's a really good team," Chang said. "They're coming off a big win, and they're veterans. They have a lot of experience, and so for us we have to get ready to play four quarters, put together good stretches on all three phases, and find a way to go out there and get a first win. 

"Just execution, really. At the end of the day, it comes down to our three phases: offense, defense, and special teams. Really executing. For us, as an offense, we want to get going faster and more consistently. That's really been a focus for us."

Hawaii football 090926

<title>Hawai‘i looks for first win of 2026 season against New Mexico State</title>

The Rainbow Warriors are 0-2 heading into Saturday's matchup against the Aggies.

Hawai‘i looks for first win of 2026 season against New Mexico State

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

Hawai‘I has joined two multi-state lawsuits challenging the federal government’s proposed changes to protections for endangered species.

Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez co-signed a pair of lawsuits — along with 20 other attorneys general — against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, arguing that proposed rule changes at both agencies that would remove protections established by the Endangered Species Act are unlawful.

, against the FWS, concerns a “blanket rule” contained within the Endangered Species Act. Established in 1975, the blanket rule extends ESA protections to all threatened fish, wildlife and plant species by default, unless FWS develops species-specific rules.

In 2019, however, during President Donald Trump’s first term, the FWS rescinded the blanket rule, following an executive order by Trump calling for widespread deregulation throughout the federal administration.

Five years later, under President Joe Biden, the FWS reinstated the blanket rule. But, last year, FWS proposed re-rescinding the blanket rule again, this time citing another Trump executive order which required departments to suspend any action determined to be an impediment to the exploitation of the country’s energy resources.

FWS has argued that rescinding the blanket rule “ensures that the [FWS] will thoughtfully consider the protections that are necessary and advisable for the conservation of threatened species.”

That same suit also challenges a proposed rule which would require the FWS to consult with outside experts for a cost-benefit analysis of whether designating an area as a protected critical habitat for an endangered species creates an economic burden. Like the blanket rule, the habitat rule was implemented in the first Trump term, rescinded in the Biden administration, and has been re-proposed once again.

In the suit filed Wednesday, Hawai‘i and the other plaintiff states argue that the FWS has abused its authority by proposing the rules, partly because the agency has a mandated responsibility to issue protective regulations for threatened species, and partly because the FWS has failed to provide adequate reasons for changing the rules.

 concerns a 2025 proposal by the FWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service to remove from their regulations the definition of “harm.”

While “harm” was defined by the NMFS as “an act which actually kills or injures fish or wildlife … [including] significant habitat modification or degradation which actually kills or injures … by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns,” the FWS and NMFS rescinded that definition in July of this year.

The agencies reportedly argued that the definition of “harm” conflicts with the agencies’ definition of “take” and that removing the former definition ensures clarity. On the other hand, the plaintiffs argue that “take” constitutes actions aimed deliberately against particular animals.

The second lawsuit challenges the “harm” rule on the same grounds as the first suit.

Hawai‘i is joined in the suits by attorneys general from Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Virginia and Washington D.C.

AG Anne Lopez scaled 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i joins lawsuits over endangered species protections</title>

Federal agencies rescissions of endangered species protections led 21 states to sue the federal government Wednesday.

Hawai‘i joins lawsuits over endangered species protections

Ray Tsuchiyama

Real Estate

 on property stewardship, I received emails about the family conflicts that happen after parents pass away. This column is a direct response to your stories.

On a recent Sunday I strolled along the water at Magic Island, Ala Moana Beach Park. I smiled at splashing toddlers, did the shaka to sweating fathers with tongs over the hibachi, and waved at mothers carrying macaroni salad containers. Memories of my parents flood my mind. I thought my parents would live forever — but that, as we know, is not life.

Watching the happy families at the beach, I felt fortunate: After my parents' passing, my sister and I have remained close, and as I have grown older, that closeness has become one of the real joys of my life — not something I take for granted. Whatever spared my sister and me the fate of the families in this column was not luck alone. It was trust, built slowly, over years, long before there was ever anything at stake to divide.

Then came readers' emails, and unexpectedly, almost all shared one theme: my writing on capital stewardship (in Hawaiʻi: land and properties) triggered emotional responses of family dysfunction — in short, they ended up not speaking to each other.

Trust is not something a family can suddenly create after a parent's passing, when grief is raw and old roles — the one who stayed, the one who left, the one who managed everything — resurface all at once. It has to be practiced earlier, long before a house is on the table. A family that talks with each other about hard things finds a way to talk about a house, too. A family that has not will find that the house becomes the place where every unspoken grievance finally has somewhere to land.

If there is a lesson in my own life, the trust that makes an inheritance survivable is not built during probate. It is built at a Liliha dinner table or Sundays at Magic Island, before anyone imagines it will ever be tested.

But trust like that is rare — my inbox tells me so.

From one Neighbor Island reader, she said that she had an agreement with her brother regarding their parents' house after their passing – but the brother went his own way. She ended up with what she had planned for — but spent months agonizing over it, while grieving her parents at the same time.

There is a brother from Nu‘uanu who returned from Las Vegas upon his mother's passing and found he had been cut out of the parents' house sale by his two sisters. When he pointed out that he shared family DNA, the sisters pulled out an Excel spreadsheet of all their visits and expenses when their mother was cared for by the two sisters — in rotation. They are fighting in court now.

Finally, one reader from California who "married into a big Hawaiian Kailua family” witnessed the disintegration of the siblings' relationships from his wife's point of view — all about the parents' properties.

Why does it always seem to come back to the 

In Hawaiʻi real estate becomes the battlefield not because families here love each other less than families elsewhere, but because of a few structural realities almost unique to our islands.

First, for many local families, the house 

 the estate. There is no diversified portfolio, no second property on the Mainland, no stock account — just one appreciated, illiquid asset that cannot simply be cut into thirds.

Second, decades of land scarcity and appreciation mean that a home purchased for tens of thousands of dollars in the 1960s or ’70s can now be worth millions — turning a modest family house into the single largest financial event of an adult child's life.

Third, there is the caregiving imbalance that so often goes unspoken. One sibling stays — cares for aging parents, drives them to doctors' appointments, pays the HECO bill — while others build careers and families elsewhere, on the Mainland. That caregiving is real and it is costly, in both time and money. But it is rarely discussed as its own form of compensation while parents are alive. Instead, it resurfaces later, sometimes literally as a spreadsheet, as evidence in a courtroom about what is "fair."

Fourth, we have a cultural reluctance to raise estate questions with living parents. It can feel disrespectful to ask a parent what they want done with the house after they are gone. One friend's mother responded 

 So, the conversation gets deferred, year after year, until it can no longer be deferred at all.

Put together, these forces mean that in Hawaiʻi, the house does not just hold financial value. It holds every unresolved conversation a family did not have time, or the will, to finish.

When I walk on Sundays at Magic Island, watching those young families, I know they are not thinking about wills or houses. They should not have to, not yet. But someday, quietly and without warning, they will.

If I could sit down at one of those picnic tables — a kupuna intruding on a young family's Sunday beach picnic, I would not talk to them about real estate. I would tell them this: Talk to each other 

, while it costs nothing and means everything. Talk to your parents while they can still answer. Talk to your siblings while there is nothing yet to divide, and the conversation is just conversation, not negotiation. Because by the time the house is what is left to talk about, the thing that actually needed saying has usually already gone unsaid for years.

That, more than any property, is the inheritance worth passing down — and it is the one so many Hawaiʻi families do not realize we are either building or losing, one Magic Island Sunday at a time.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

ay Tsuchiyama’s series explores one central question: How does Hawai‘i use the wealth and land it already has to create its next economic future? He can be reached at 

Firefly Gemini Flash funny illustration of a Hawaii family arguing over a house theyve inherited make th 379744

<title>Why Hawaiʻi families stop speaking over a house</title>

The wealth that most people in Hawai‘i stand to inherit is typically real estate — quite often the very homes we grew up in, which are now million-dollar assets. ASD columnist Ray Tsuchiyama has advice for how kama‘āina can avoid the pain of fighting over the house when their parents are gone.

Why Hawaiʻi families stop speaking over a house

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

[{"type":"text","text":"Sharon Har is passionate about affordable housing."}]

The former state legislator, who served in the Hawai‘i House of Representatives from 2006 to 2022, has joined Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp. as its housing development director.

In her new role, Har will focus on the day-to-day development of Hale Pilina, CCHDC's newest affordable housing project located in Kahului, and serve as the primary point of contact for financing, construction and consulting partners, a recent announcement noted.

Hale Pilina is CCHDC's first development designed for families, the announcement says. The 178-unit community, which will offer one- and two-bedroom apartments across four buildings, will serve families earning up to 60% of the area median income. And for the first two years, priority will be given to those affected by the 

Har says she started her career as an attorney — her background was in land use, real estate and construction, "and I think that was my first foray into any type of development."

[{"type":"text","text":"She represented developers, general contractors and architects."}]

"I've always just wanted to help people," she recently told Aloha State Daily. "That's why I became a lawyer; I thought I was going to help people, and then I had an opportunity to run for office back in 2005 and I thought I would be helping people on a greater scale, so I ran for office."

[{"type":"text","text":"While in the state Legislature, Har represented Kapolei and Makakilo."}]

"There I really focused on doing the same thing," she says. "It was about affordable housing. It was about public policy and getting sound public policy so that we could really help build affordable housing, making it a little bit easier."

She joined The Michaels Organization in 2019, where, the announcement notes, she most recently served as vice president of development and operations for the organization in Hawai‘i, leading the execution of affordable housing developments and overseeing statewide development activities. Har says that's when she "really started working nuts and bolts as a real estate developer, as an affordable housing developer, and it's been such a passion of mine."

"It is so hard. It is so hard and it is one of the hardest things I've ever done in my entire life, but it is so rewarding," Har says. "Anyone who understands the real estate development process, especially affordable housing — I mean, it can take anywhere between five to seven years to get a building online — you really have to be passionate about it. But at the end of the day, it's worth it because it's about putting our local residents in and giving them access to affordable housing here in Hawai‘i."

[{"type":"text","text":"Her past experiences have prepared her for her new role."}]

"I tell everybody, as a former attorney, you can go to law school but law school doesn't prepare you to be a lawyer,” Har told ASD. And the same goes for real estate development; Har says that you don’t really understand the complexities of development “until you've actually done it. I think serving as a vice president for The Michaels Organization here in Hawai‘i really prepared me for that role."

Most recently, Har said she was project manager for the developer’s 

"It was just such a learning experience and I think that really kind of put me into that echelon of being able to speak to the issues and why affordable housing is so difficult to deliver, and dealing with all the obstacles that you deal with in trying to build affordable housing and trying to bring it online so that our community has greater access to it."

Har says her background in real estate and affordable housing development also aligns with CCHDC's mission to provide affordable housing to local residents.

There was a "synergy there and that's why it was so exciting to come work here," she says. “ ... I've only been [here] for a few weeks, but I consider it a great honor because I feel that [CCHDC's] mission, it comports with my passion, just trying to continue on that momentum statewide of building affordable housing."

Stepping into this new role, Har says her first priority will be ensuring that Hale Pilina, which is slated for delivery next year, is “delivered on time and on budget, so that we can, again, begin leasing up as soon as possible so that our residents on Maui can have access to affordable housing. In the meantime, I also plan on doing our best to build pipeline.”

“Bringing Sharon onto our team strengthens everything we’re building at CCHDC,” Executive Director 

 said in the announcement. “Her experience and deep commitment to Hawai

s possible, not just at Hale Pilina, but throughout the Islands.

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i has been around since 1947, but CCHDC was incorporated in 1999 as a nonprofit affiliate. It owns, develops and manages real estate properties across the Islands for seniors, families and those in need.

In addition to Hale Pilina, CCHDC manages six other affordable housing developments on O‘ahu and Maui.

Sharon Har Headshot Courtesy of Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation 16x9 Copy

<title>Former legislator joins Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp.</title>

In her new role as housing development director, Sharon Har will focus on the day-to-day development of CCHDC's newest affordable housing project, Hale Pilina, and serve as the main point of contact for financing, construction and consulting partners.

Former legislator joins Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp.

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Aloha Spirit

Mike Shiroma’s neighborhood in the Pālolo Valley sounds different than it did when he was a kid, all because of the invasive coqui frog.

The quarter-sized tree frog native to Puerto Rico calls from dusk to dawn. They are one of the loudest frogs in the world, with calls reaching up to 100 decibels, similar to a lawnmower or motorcycle. They hitchhiked to Hawaiʻi Island in 1988 and have since set up colonies on Oʻahu in Pālolo Valley, Waimānalo and the Kuliʻouʻou summit.

Shiroma said he’s witnessed the number of frogs grow from a handful to dozens to thousands, and now estimates that there are 15,000-20,000 coqui frogs in Pālolo Valley.

Shiroma described the coqui frog noise as a “permanent, audio graffiti.”

“They're changing the environment forever,” he said.

Sidney Lynch called the noise deafening. She noticed the occassional frog washing down the Waiʻōmaʻo Stream and would call the Department of Agriculture to catch it. She offered to help after she noticed more and more frogs washing down the stream in 2025.

She co-founded Pālolo Coqui, a group of volunteers that meets multiple times a week to catch and kill coqui in the Pālolo Valley. Volunteers have caught 6,085 since they started in March.

“Even though it’s only concentrated in a five street area, it’s getting much noisier and they can spread,” Lynch said. “At this point, if there’s the chance to eradicate them, we may as well try.”

When volunteers came to Shiroma’s door with a flyer earlier this year, they joined forces to fight the invasion, going from what Shiroma called an “army of one” to a team. Shiroma has been hunting coqui frogs for years, and said he’s getting burned out and discouraged.

Volunteers wear long-sleeve neon shirts, long pants, headlamps and sturdy shoes, and carry plastic tubes, UV flashlights, citric acid solution and radios, and head out into the protected state land bordering the neighborhood to search for frogs.

Here’s how it works: Volunteers listen for the distinct “ko-KEE” call, approach the frog and place a long plastic tube on the frog. The frog jumps up and into the tube, and volunteers put the frog into a small bottle full of a citric acid solution where it is killed.

The male frogs like to hang out on logs and smooth leaves, such as monstera, pothos and heliconia. The “ko” of the coqui’s call asserts their territory and the “kee” calls for females.

Shiroma read scientific papers that said certain amphibians floresce under UV light. He tried it out, and found that certain UV light makes the coqui appear black and their eyes glow, allowing volunteers to look for frogs with UV flashlights when they are not calling.

“To me, this is the game changer. There’s no better discovery than this,” Shiroma said.

The coqui frog is one of 15 high priority pests that the 

 is monitoring. OISC is a project under the University of Hawaiʻi Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit that coordinates between communities, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Department of Land and Natural Resources. OISC first got involved with coqui frogs in Pālolo Valley in September 2024.

Robbie Snyder, a community engagement liaison with OISC, detailed the negative impacts coqui frogs can have on Hawaiʻi.

Coqui frogs have no natural predators on Hawaiʻi, so they get more dense than they would in their home country. Snyder said that one acre of land on Oʻahu can be home to 36,000 coqui.

The noise changes the soundscape of Oʻahu’s forests, Snyder said. Lynch said that the noise impacts resident’s quality of life.

Homeowners are required to disclose if there’s a coqui frog infestation on or near their property, which can drive down home prices.

Coqui frogs eat invertebrates, which damages Oʻahu’s native plants and can harm native plants when those plants aren’t being pollinated.

“Those insects also play vital pollinating services to our native plants, so when the frogs eat the native insects, we then lose things that can pollinate our native plants, and that has a cascading affect through the ecosystem,” Snyder said.

If snakes were introduced in Hawaiʻi, coqui frogs would provide a “massive food source” and aid their spread.

According to Snyder, the current goal is to contain coqui frogs until the state has the resources or better tools to eradicate them.

“With the resources we have right now, site level eradication of coqui is not possible,” Snyder said. “There isn’t enough funding, there’s not enough people, there’s not enough resources, and that’s even with the incredible community volunteers that we have, but we need more and we need a years-long commitment to funding.”

Snyder said that hand capture alone isn’t enough at this point to eradicate an infestation.

“There are small enough local populations that they haven’t become widespread. Hope is not lost with coqui frogs,” Snyder said.

OISC and state agencies spray a liquid combination of citric acid and water in an attempt to contain coqui frogs. Citric acid, which is found in citrus, some soft drinks and some candies, poses little risk to people and the environment, but is lethal to amphibians because they respirate through their skin.

OISC has been spraying 400 gallons of citric acid month in the Pālolo Valley for about two years and increased to spray twice monthly starting in August.

When coqui frogs infested Wahiawā in 2003, the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biodiversity, the Oʻahu Army Natural Resources Program, the Department of Land and Natural Resources and OISC teamed up and eradicated the coqui infestation with a mix of citric spray and hand captures by 2007.

The volunteers in Pālolo have mixed opinions about the use of citric acid spray. Lynch believes citric acid spray is an effective tool and Shiroma believes it’s not as effective as hand capturing the frogs.

Shiroma called it an “agency failure” that the Department of Agriculture hasn’t dedicated more resources to preventing the spread of coqui.

“You guys are using the same broken playbook that’s not working and hasn’t worked for decades. This is not a new problem.” Shiroma. He advocated for the Department of Agriculture to make a dedicated team that works at night.

While the coqui frogs keep calling, Pālolo Valley neighbors will continue donning neon shirts and heading into the forest to stop them.

Coqui in Pālolo

<title>Volunteers battle coqui frog infestation in Pālolo Valley</title>

The Pālolo Coqui volunteer group is working alongside the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee and state agencies to contain a coqui frog infestation in their neighborhood.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Introducing the "loose" shaka

Authors

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Reporter

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