Protecting the Trees That Feed Us
Written by Merlyn Ruddell
Some households run on coffee.
Ours runs on coconuts.
Every morning, there’s a pretty good chance I’m out cracking coconuts in the yard, carrying coconuts to the kitchen, feeding coconuts to the chickens, or trying to keep our dog Nisha from stealing coconut husks before we’re done with them.
Our chickens get a coconut every day.
Nisha gets a coconut every day too — or at least she believes this is her constitutional right.
And we use coconuts constantly ourselves: fresh sweet coconut milk for our coffee, coconut cream for chocolate ice cream and Thai curry, and of course, fresh young coconut water and spoon meat.
So when Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle showed up on Kauai, protecting palms became personal.
Over the past several months, we’ve spent time with nearly every professional now listed on the new Pono Professionals section of the CRB Action Kauai website. They’ve climbed and cleaned our many trees while experimenting with a wide variety of preventive methods, sharing their knowledge and experience as we asked endless questions and explored the many different approaches people are using to protect palms.
The video here shows Govinda, one of those professionals, working high in the canopy.
Some professionals focus heavily on trapping, netting, mulch management, sanitation, and other non-toxic or low-toxicity methods. Others also use regulated chemical treatments. Everyone brings different experience, ideas, and tools to the challenge.
At our own home, we personally lean toward non-toxic approaches whenever possible — partly because our coconuts are such an active part of daily life.
One thing many people don’t realize is that with certain injectable pesticides, the label may require coconuts to be removed from the tree for a year following treatment. Under the law, pesticide labels must be followed exactly, and it is the responsibility of the applicator to do so.
That’s one reason these conversations matter.
CRB Action Kauai is not about telling people there is only one right answer.
It’s about helping our island community make informed choices with good information, environmental care, and respect for both people and palms.
That spirit is what led to the creation of Pono Professionals.
Every professional listed there has agreed to:
follow pesticide labels and legal requirements carefully
provide clear disclosure regarding products and methods used
participate in continuing education opportunities
support responsible practices that protect pollinators, pets, people, and the environment
Most importantly, they’ve been willing to engage in open, respectful dialogue about what’s working, what isn’t, and how we can all do better together.
And honestly, that gives us hope.
Because, if there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that Kauai doesn’t solve problems through one person or one agency alone.
We solve them the island way: neighbors talking story, sharing ideas, showing up, climbing trees, hauling netting, checking traps, feeding chickens coconuts, and helping each other protect what we love.
If you know a professional who belongs on the Pono Professionals list, please encourage them to fill out our questionnaire:
Pono Professionals Questionnaire
The network continues to grow — one palm, one conversation, and one coconut at a time.