Aloha First name / friend,
At 808 Cleanups we empower the community in ways to sustainably restore Hawai'i's native ecosystems. One of our top priorities is to remove invasive species that were brought to the islands as cattle feed but have taken over and become a threat to the natural environment. The Department of Land and Natural Resources estimates that over 25% of the islands are now covered by non-native grasses (source).
Invasive species, like koa haole and buffelgrass, take away resources from native plants and modify habitats. They also provide fuel for wildfires since they cover so much ground and are quicker to burn than native plants.
Multiple times each week our volunteers cut, pull, hack, and uproot a variety of invasive species to make room for native plants to thrive. We hope you can join us for a cleanup soon to see the progress we've made and help us continue our efforts! In the meantime, take a look behind the scenes at how we get rid of these unwelcome trees and grasses.
