Mauna Kea Oral History Appendix - Office of Mauna Kea Management

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Do some plots and see what species… There’s the feeling okay, if gorse is going to be
controlled, how do we control it Do we keep just dumping chemicals in this place, which
I hate. Or do we kind of do it naturally somehow. We’ve got bugs, we’re doing… Another
thing with this plan is, they found another bug that attacks the seed. So, we’ve got three
bugs up here already. Another one would help, it’s a natural way to do it, you see.
So, they have found something, and gorse originated where
I think it was like in Scotland or England.
So, they found something that is a natural enemy
Right.
Or predator
Bore into the seed
Yes. There’s one that does it already, that goes in and eats the seed on the plant. And
there’s another one that actually attacks the seed in the ground.
That’s the baby we need, boy.
Yes.
Only thing we’ll find out what else it does, when it runs out of seeds.
[all laughing]
No, no, they do a whole study. They don’t bring them in and throw them loose. There’s
four things, there’s a mite that creates a web on it.
Yes, we’ve seen that.
There’s a couple of other things that are working right now on the gorse but you know,
it’s a slow process and I’m more of a guy, I want to see some results so…
Another question, are you aware of DHHL [Department of Hawaiian Homelands], they
have a program to do some reforestation, some tree planting
Yes. It’s out by the first cattle guard.
How do you feel about that The concept of Sugi to create a…
A natural barrier.
A natural barrier so that it doesn’t.
How are they going to spread it How are they going to keep it from spreading makai
Because all streams run downhill right
Yes.
That’s my biggest question you know, okay guys, that’s a neat concept.
If you surround it
But, even if you surround it makai, you get a big rain, all those seeds are going down to
Hilo. That’s my biggest problem on that and it’s going to be very costly you know.
I think what they’re probably just looking, real generic, well, they figured when it hits the
forest that it can’t grow anymore but the seeds. You’re right, go right down to it.
The thing that worries me on that one is it’s going to be very costly, going to be big
money. You think about the boundary that goes, you can see it way over there on...
The thinking is somewhere like getting the children involved with some of these youth
projects, to do the planting.
Mauna Kea– “Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Äina”
Kumu Pono Associates LLC
A Collection of Oral History Interviews (HiMK67-050606) A:155