Gumption key to Kaua‘i conservation

Protecting Kaua‘i’s natural resources is more gumption, less patience, said a conservation biologist yesterday afternoon at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kalaheo.

“It all depends on how bold you want to be,” Dr. Michael Soulé told the crowd gathered inside the Harrison Chandler Education Center. “These days we don’t have much time left to save the world.”

Soulé also suggested sharper scissors may be necessary to cut through the layers of bureaucratic red tape that environmentalists say is slowing efforts to restore Hawai‘i’s endangered fauna and flora.

“There’s insufficient government ‘oomph’ and action,” he said. “There needs to be a lot more passion and commitment.”

Soulé gleaned the lessons learned from years of studies comparing conservation efforts on three distinct land areas — North America, Australia and Hawai‘i.

“Many Mainland ecology rules don’t apply to Hawai‘i,” he said, adding that this makes experts trained there “ill-prepared” to deal with an archipelago’s unique environment.

For instance, on Hawai‘i there is no need for expansive nature reserves because the islands lack large herbivores. He said numerous small reserves would be easier to manage and would be more beneficial to protect the hundreds of vanishing plant and bird species.

Soulé recommended scientists here be flexible and learn to adapt.

The biologist classified habitat degradation on Hawai‘i as “massive.” Almost all habitat below 1,000 feet in elevation is non-native, he said.

“The average tourist won’t see a single native plant or animal species,” Soulé said. “That’s a pretty weird vacation by my standards.”

He blamed the destruction on surging coastal development and soaring human population, reiterating the need to act now on “outside of the box” ideas.

“We don’t have the luxury to do long studies,” National Tropical Botanical Garden botanist Ken Wood said after Soulé’s presentation.

One relatively quick idea Soulé suggested involves “inter situ” conservation.

Using this method, native Hawaiian plants grown at botanical gardens would be made available to reestablish species in preserves after steps, such as fencing, are in place to manage them, Wood said.

“Red tape has created a bureaucratic obstacle,” Soulé said.

A Kaua‘i resident in attendance added, “It takes longer to do the paperwork than build the fence.”

Soulé proposed introducing ecological surrogates for the missing native Hawaiian plants and animals.

“If we ever want to restore nature, it will take radical and bold ideas,” he said.

The scientist urged anyone who cares about the environment to act now.

“You can’t hope for change. Hoping is the worst of emotions. You have to do,” he said. “We can’t leave it up to other people to change the world.”

Soulé, who is an environmental studies professor emeritus at the University of California at Santa Cruz, will be the keynote speaker Wednesday at the 2007 Hawai‘i Conservation Conference in Honolulu.

• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.

com.