U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi’s efforts to prevent, manage and control invasive species on Army lands
American Sāmoa | THURSDAY, JUNE 25 from 1:00-2:00 p.m.Hawaiʻi | THURSDAY, JUNE 25 from 2:00-3:00 p.m.Palau | FRIDAY, JUNE 26 from 9:00-10:00 a.m.CNMI & Guam | FRIDAY, JUNE 26 from 10:00-11:00 a.m.FSM | FRIDAY, JUNE 26 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (Weno) / 11:00-12:00 p.m. (Palikir)RMI | FRIDAY, JUNE 26 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. New Zealand | FRIDAY, JUNE 26 from 12:00 -1:00 p.m.
A Webinar Via Zoom By the Pacific Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network (Pacific RISCC)
Webinar Details:
Title:
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi’s efforts to prevent, manage and control invasive species on Army lands
Webinar Description:
The Army trains and supports soldiers on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island where there are over 100 federally listed plants and animals. The Army has the potential to impact these species via wildfires and invasive species introduction and spread. The Army’s Natural Resource team will present on invasive species prevention, management and control at Army Training lands.
Speaker details: ![]()
H. Kapua Kawelo, Senior Natural Resources Program Manager, Oʻahu Army Natural Resources Program
Kapua grew up on the windward side of Oʻahu. Her ʻohana is from Ka’alae’a and Pākole, O’ahu. Kapua grew up hiking and diving with her family and friends and these experiences fostered her love of Hawaiʻi’s forests and oceans. Kapua graduated from the University of California at Davis with a Botany degree. She has worked for the Army’s Natural Resource Program on Oʻahu since 1995, first as an intern, then Federal Biologist and now as the Natural Resources Program Manager. When Kapua began working with the Natural Resource Program, she was one of only 4 staff, currently there are ~60 staff hired through a cooperative agreement with the University of Hawaiʻi. The Army’s Natural Resource Program conserves native plants, animals and habitats in the Waiʻanae and Koʻolau Mountains and helps the Army balance mission needs with environmental protection.
Kaia Kong, Natural Resources Specialist, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi
Kaia Kong began her conservation career in 2016 as an intern with the Army Natural Resources Program on Oʻahu. Over the course of her career with the program, she served in a variety of roles, including Field Technician, Field Team Leader, Field Team Supervisor, and Animal Program Coordinator, before becoming the Natural Resources Specialist for U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi in 2024. Born in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, and raised in Kaimukī on Oʻahu, Kaia developed a deep appreciation for Hawaiʻi’s unique natural and cultural resources and is passionate about conserving and protecting the landscapes and species that make these islands so special. Kaia attended Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻO Ānuenue, a Hawaiian language immersion school, from kindergarten through high school graduation. There, through hands-on work in the loʻi kalo and māla, she developed a strong work ethic, a love for working with plants, and a lasting connection to ʻāina.