Hawaii Officials Use Paintball Guns to Halt Invasive Plant Growth
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.23.13
Conservation scientists from the Hawaii Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) aboard helicopters aim down their gun sights as they fly over the eastern half of the island of Maui. Their target is miconia, a destructive weed that that greedily steals sunlight from native plants. In the scientists’ hands are a variety of paintball guns loaded with herbicide pellets, which are then fired towards the masses of miconia growing below. While their methods might seem dramatic, Dr. James Leary, an invasive weed specialist at the University of Hawaii, testifies to the herbicide’s effectiveness.
“We have protected over 3,000 acres, eliminating 5,000 miconia targets, and reducing what we call incipient populations, or satellite populations, by 80 percent,” he said.
The idea of using paintball guns was born through a collaboration between researchers of the NREM and the University of Hawaii. According to Hawaii News Now, Dr. Leary and his associates spent six years developing the herbicide pellet, which they jokingly named “Herbicide Ballistic Technology.”
“The process and manufacturing of these herbicide capsules is identical to the processing of the paintballs used in recreation,” said Leary. “But instead of targeting people in recreation, we’re targeting incipient weeds in these natural areas.”
Miconia, specifically Miconia calvescens, is a highly invasive species native to Mexico and South America. Its introduction to islands like Hawaii have caused a massive ecological crisis, leading to its nickname of the “purple plague.” Miconia grows quickly in the under-story of tropical environments and kills nearby plants, destabilizing the local environment. In Tahiti, nearly a quarter of the island is now taken up by miconia stands. Because it grows deep in the undergrowth, miconia can be hard to reach on foot, so Leary and his associates requested the aid of helicopters on their “gardening” missions.
From the air, the scientists are able to easily spot miconia and disperse herbicide. The paintball-delivery method has already gained approval from the state Department of Agriculture and began to see widespread use last year. Following success in eastern Maui, Leary plans to bring flights over the rest of the island as well as neighboring Kauai and Oahu. Not surprisingly, the researchers also seem to be enjoying themselves.
“I get asked that all the time,” said Leary. “The fun factor is an obvious one. It’s helicopters and paintball guns. How can it not be fun?”
You can see Leary in action below:
