Invasives from ‘plants to ants’ topic of Thursday talk

HANAPEPE — There is a frog in my Christmas tree!

That is one of the statements which trigger Keren Gundersen and the Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee.

Gundersen, the project manager for the KISC will be speaking on “Invasive Species: From Plants to Ants” on Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Hanapepe Public Library.

Part of the free monthly lecture series on the Hawaiian Marine Environment, Gundersen will explain how weeds, vertebrates and insects can destroy an entire ecosystem, including marine environment.

While working for the Koke‘e Resource Conservation Program, Gundersen was introduced to the world of invasive species and in 2001 was instrumental in forming the KISC.

She has remained at the helm of the organization, which has responded to calls of mongoose sightings, invasive plants taking over taro lo‘i and noisy coqui frogs and more.

KISC is a voluntary partnership of government, private and nonprofit organizations and concerned individuals working to eliminate or control the most threatening invasive plant and animal species to preserve Kaua‘i’s native bio-diversity and minimize adverse ecological, economic and social impacts.

In her position as project manager, Gundersen has seen KISC grow from two employees to nine and has forged lasting partnerships while witnessing many eradication successes such as the coqui frog problem in Lawa‘i.

The monthly Hawaiian Marine Environment lecture series is sponsored by the Friends of the Hanapepe Public Library.

Call the library, located at 4490 Kona Road in Hanapepe, at 335-8414 for more information.