2024 Conference Programming
SCHEDULE SESSIONS & SPEAKERS VENUE REGISTER
PLENARY SESSION
THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: HOW IT IS GOING TO CHANGE HOW WE CARE FOR LANDSCAPES AND HAWAII'S LEADING ROLE
For over 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has been one of our cornerstone federal environmental statutes. Despite numerous attempts to comply with statutory requirements, EPA has failed to do so. Now, federal courts have run out of patience and have required the agency to comply. This promises to be the most profound change to the regulatory framework for pesticides since the FIFRA was amended in 1972. Each and every user of pesticides in the United States will feel these effects.
Bob Mann is the Senior Director of Technical and Regulatory Affairs for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Bob is a graduate of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts. In addition to his work at NALP, Bob represents the landscape industry in many public forums including the Northeast IPM Advisory Council, the Board of Directors of The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance (TPSA), and EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialog Committee.
In addition to the plenary session, conference attendees will be able to select up to five sessions from fifteen presentations in these three concurrent tracks:
REGISTER
Mahalo Sponsors
Mahalo Exhibitors
ALOHA FERTILIZER
ARBORJET
B. HAYMAN CO.
BARNEL (BY HENRY LAMOND CO)
GOOD JOBS HAWAII
HAWAII DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION
HAWAII MEDICAL ASSURANCE ASSOCIATION (HMAA)
HUI KU MAOLI OLA
JJ MAUGET
NESS
PACIFIC GOLF & TURF
PACIFIC PIPE CO
PAGE ELECTRIC CO.
RAINBOW ECOSCIENCE
SIMPLOT T&H
THE URBAN FARMER STORE
VICTOR STANLEY, INC.
PESTS
RESEARCH UPDATES: LANDSCAPE PESTS IN HAWAII
This presentation will provide research updates on several important landscape pests in Hawaii, such as coconut rhinoceros beetle, hala scale, and more.
CEU:1 HDOA 1a,3,6,9,10 / 1 LICT, 1 ISA
Dr. Zhiqiang Cheng is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in CTAHR, UH Manoa, with 20 years of research experience on biology, ecology, and management of turfgrass and landscape pests. His current and recent research projects in Hawaii include: control of coconut rhinoceros beetle, control of Ficus stem and leaf gall wasps, control of lobate lac scale on banyans and Hibiscus, control of oriental flower beetle, control of hala scale, control of foliar nematode on ornamental plants, control of frit fly on golf course, control of mini ring on golf course, control of take-all patch on golf courses, and more.
COCONUT RHINOCEROUS BEETLE (CRB) BEST PRACTICES
The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) is an invasive species detected on Oahu in December of 2013. CRB populations can have devastating impacts to palm species and other important crops. This presentation will cover CRB identification, updates, best management practices, treatments, and new regulatory information. CEU: 1 HDOA 1a,2,3,9,10 / 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Arisa Barcinas is the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response Outreach Associate. Barcinas received her BS in Global Environmental Science in 2020 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She was awarded the ThinkSwiss Summer School Scholarship for the International Bachelor Summer School for Climate Change Research by the Embassy of Switzerland in the US Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education upon acceptance at the University of Bern (Switzerland) in 2018.
HDOA: Plant Industry Update
In this session, the HDOA staff will share the latest updates on the latest challenges and guidelines from the agency, including news on quarantine restrictions, how plant quarantine works with industry and communities and how they are working to keep Hawaii safe. Also covered are updates on the entry and establishment of detrimental animals, weeds, plants disease and other pests and ways HDOA works to support, promote, and protect Hawaii's agriculture and aquaculture industries and to create and maximize opportunities for exporting and facilitate growth of existing and new agricultural commodities and value-added products. CEU: 1 HDOA 1a,1b,1c,2,3,4,5,6,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,8,9,10 / 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Greg Takeshima, Acting Plant Industry administrator will be presenting in lieu of Dexter Kishida.
Jonathan Ho is the Plant Quarantine Branch Manager at the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
BEST PRACTICES FOR MANAGING CRB IN THE LANDSCAPE
In March 2024, the City Department of Planning and Permitting issued a letter discouraging the use of palms in the landscape due to CRB. Additionally, a management plan is required for any palms in the proposed landscape. Palms are an asset in the Hawai'i landscape, and management tools are available to maintain palms in the urban treescape. This presentation will cover the current Best Management Practices as identified by UH and DoA to reduce the establishment of and damage by CRB in the urban forest. CEU: 1 HDOA 3,6,9,10 / 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Steve Nimz is the chief consulting arborist for Tree Solutions Hawaii,and has been caring for trees in the islands since the 1970s. He has served as president of LICH, and has received several awards from the International Society of Arboriculture.
Using Pesticides Safely in Landscapes
Pesticides are essential for management of pests and diseases in our landscapes, but they can be hazardous to human and environmental health when not used appropriately. This presentation will cover practices to properly and safely use pesticides in typical landscape industry settings, including Personal Protective Equipment, rate calculations, label instructions, and transportation of pesticides especially for mobile applications.
CEU: 1 HDOA 3,6,9,10/ 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Joshua Silva is an Associate Extension Agent with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Cooperative Extension. He is based on Oahu county and primarily serves edible crop industries. Josh focuses on areas related to sustainable agriculture, such as fertilizer and irrigation management, integrated pest management, and pesticide and food safety trainings.
Alberto Ricordi, D.Arch. is an Assistant Extension Agent at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Cooperative Extension. He is based on Oahu County and primarily serves the ornamental and landscape industries. Alberto is a Licensed Landscape Architect in Hawaii, holds a C-27 Landscaping Contractor RME license, and is a HDoA Restricted Use Pesticide Certified Applicator.
ARBORISTS
Soil & Plant HealthCare in Hawaii
In this session we will review the different soil health options for the Hawaii terrain. We will also review critical water management practices and pest control in the landscape.
CEU: 1 HDOA 1a,2,3,6,10 / 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Wister Dorta serves as Arborjet-Ecologel's California & Hawaii Regional Technical Manager. He is a Board-Certified Master Arborist, qualified Tree Risk Assessor, and fluent in Spanish.
Leadership, Employee Retention, and Productivity through the Power of Respect™
In this session Jeff shares how to create highly effective organizations, empower influence and leadership, turn negative conflict to positive interactions, and effectively deal with difficult people and situations.
As a former hostage negotiator and current internationally recognized expert in threat assessment and management, Jeff has guided many organizations to implement effective conflict resolution; de-escalation concepts; and workplace violence prevention, intervention and response. CEU: 1 ISA / 1 LICT
Jeffrey Owens, CTM, CSP, CVP, Major, HPD-Ret. is an internationally recognized expert who uses his real-world experience to guide audiences on how to lower the risks of negative conflict and violence, increase employee engagement and retention, lessen management headaches, and improve the bottom line. As a police officer in the Honolulu Police Department Jeff learned to deal with people in virtually every imaginable situation. He was selected to be a founding member of the department’s Hostage Negotiation team and was the lead negotiator in events ranging from simply difficult people to life and death situations. As the Department’s in-house expert on inter-personal conflict and violence, he designed the HPD’s Workplace Violence Training program and helped numerous government and private sector entities design policies, prevention programs, conducted threat assessments, and consulted on events that did occur.
Jeff retired from the HPD in 2002 at the rank of Major, a Division Commander and launched his training and consulting company, Transcend Inc. In 2015, Jeff was one of the first people in the world to be awarded the prestigious designation of Certified Threat Manager (CTM) by the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals; and in 2022, Jeff was awarded the Certified Professional Speaker (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association, the highest earned award in professional speaking.
Little Fire Ant Workshop
This workshop will teach skills for little fire ant detection and management for the landscape industry.
Topics covered:
• Tips for detecting little fire ants
• Current best management practices
• Pesticide recommendations, use, and safety
CEU: 1 HDOA 1a,2,3,7c,7d,8,9,10 / 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Jolie Dollar is a Consulting Arborist and specializes in invasive species management.
Alberto Ricordi, D.Arch. is an Assistant Extension Agent at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Cooperative Extension. He is based on Oahu County and primarily serves the ornamental and landscape industries. Alberto is a Licensed Landscape Architect in Hawaii, holds a C-27 Landscaping Contractor RME license, and is a HDoA Restricted Use Pesticide Certified Applicator.
How to Read Construction Plans
Reading is fundamental - especially being able to read plans when working on a construction project. Learn the basics for deciphering construction drawings from a landscaper's perspective. What other trades are doing can impact the landscaper’s work and costs.
CEU: 1 ISA / 1 LICT
Carol Kwan has a diverse background with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a MBA degree. She worked for about 20 years in construction and development as an engineer before becoming a Certified Arborist in 2003 and working as a consulting arborist in her own business, primarily in construction. Carol is an ISA Certified Arborist, holds the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, and is a Past President of Western Chapter ISA.
Benefits of Gasification Process Technologies
The fires on Maui in August 2023 spurred massive action to remove wildfire-prone biomass from Hawaii’s landscape. In the wake of these clearing efforts comes an opportunity for collection & processing of the biomass to allow for nutrient recovery and carbon recycling. Attendees will receive an overview of how one Hawaii-based company uses waste receipt & a novel gasification conversion process to convert tropical green waste compromised with invasives and other contaminants & give it a second life as fertilizer.
CEU: 1 ISA / 1 LICT
Jennifer Chinen graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and serves as the Environmental Engineering Technician with Simonpietri Enterprises. She has assisted with real world waste field observation, feedstock processing, and the gasification of C&D waste and invasive species green waste. She also serves as the lead for all environmental concerns (i.e. planning, permitting and draft environmental assessment tasks) for the Aloha Carbon waste gasification project.
Samantha Seligman graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with her Bachelor of Science degree in biology and has previous experience working as a clinical research coordinator. She has been helping to process the data from SEL’s greenwaste gasification ash analysis which is being used formulate their fertilizer products.
Nursery / Design
A nursery's experience: invasives, expectations, and what lies ahead
Nurseries are the frontline of the landscaping industry and offer a good view of recent trends. Mark will review his recent experiences with Hawaii's new invasive species and share how these have shaped his outlook on the industry. He will also touch on the impact of invasive species on products, invasives best management practices, and Mark's predictions for what the nursery industry can expect to see in the near future.
CEU: 1 HDOA 3,10 / 1 ISA / 1 LICT
Mark Fukui graduated from Pacific University with a bachelors in exercise science. Originally destined for medical school he changed tracks upon returning home to Oahu and has been working in the landscape industry since 2014. He is the owner manager of Contemporary Landscaping, a landscape nursery specializing in large trees and palms.
Protea and Sterile Landscape Trees
In this session the speaker will review recently developed tropical proteas that can be grown at low elevations in Hawaii for cut flower and potted plant sales and for use in residential, commercial and resort landscapes. The research and potential uses of tropical proteas will be discussed. Also, several recently developed hybrid shower trees that are sterile or produce reduced numbers of seedpods will be reviewed. Sterile monkey pod trees are not easily propagated, but a new graduate student has taken that on as his MS degree research.
CEU: 1 HDOA 3,10 / 1 ISA / 1 LICT
Ken Leonhardt, Ph.D. is an Ornamental Crops Specialist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Tropical Plants and Soil Sciences.
Common Mistakes When Reading a Pesticide Label – How to Not Get Fined During a Pesticide Use Inspection
The label is the law, but pesticide labels can be confusing. Often, the information you need to mix, load, apply, and store pesticides is spread throughout multiple label sections. Not applying at the correct rate, wearing the wrong PPE, and improper storage are simple mistakes that can lead to fines during an inspection. This presentation intends to highlight common mistakes and provide helpful tips and best practices to stay in compliance with local and federal pesticide regulations.
CEU: 1 HDOA 1a,1b,1c,2,3,4,5,6,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,8,9,10 / 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Maxwell Bendes is an Education and Outreach Specialist with the Pesticides Branch of the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture. He has over a decade of industry experience as a landscaper, horticulturist, and conservationist. Maxwell holds a master’s degree in Tropical Plant and Soil Science from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and has spent his career working to protect the island’s natural resources and to support the communities that live here.
HDOA Pesticide Disposal Program
The Pesticide Disposal Program (“PDP”) provides agricultural, licensed pest control operators, landscape professionals, golf course operators, and other commercial users of pesticides with an opportunity to safely dispose of canceled, suspended, unwanted, unlabeled (“CSUU”) pesticides and pesticidal wastes.
In this session, we'll review the 2024-2025 HDOA PDP including:
- An island-by-island breakdown of the amount of pesticides collected
- Types of materials accepted
- The importance of proper pesticide disposal
- The future of the PDP
CEU: 1 HDOA 1a,1b,1c,2,3,4,5,6,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,8,9,10 / 1 LICT / 1 ISA
Adam Williams is an Environmental Health Specialist at the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture. He has worked at HDOA for 8 years. In his role, Williams conducts pesticide sale and use inspections. Williams received his Environmental Science degree from Hawaii Pacific University. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, exercising, and reading.
Plant Disease Diagnostics and Management for Landscapers
An introduction to basic plant disease diagnostics that landscapers can adopt for improved disease management targeting the specific pathogen. The talk will also include some common and new diseases to be on the lookout for, as well as good disease management practices. CEU: 1 HDOA 3,10 / 1 ISA / 1 LICT
Dr. Josiah Marquez is the Hawaii Department of Agriculture plant pathologist. Dr. Marquez received a M.S. in Tropical Plant Pathology at the University of Hawaii and a PhD in Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia, specialized in nematology. His current projects include managing a plant disease clinic, conducting statewide plant disease surveys, and developing resources for biosecurity risk assessments of plant disease.
EXHIBITING AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
We are looking forward to seeing all of our exhibitors and sponsors at the 2024 Green Industry Conference in October. To make your investment the most valuable it can be, we want to make sure you have all of the information you need to prepare.
INFO SESSION RECORDING
To update you on all of the details of the event so that you know what to expect, we made a recording of the info session held in May 2024. This session included maps, photos and details to answer any questions about the exhibiting, sponsorship and the venue layout. You can review that recording for more information at any time.
SPONSORSHIP
$5,000.00 Koa Sponsor
$2,500.00 Ohia Sponsor
$1,600.00 Conference Sponsor
EXHIBITS
$1,350.00 Exhibitor (double)
$850.00 Exhibitor (single)
