Three photos show the tree cotton, thorny Popolo, and Hua Kuahiwi flowers.

From left to right: Photo Resource Hawaii/Alamy Stock Photo (tree cotton); Michael Szoenyi/SPL/Science Source (thorny popolo); Courtesy of Ken Wood/National Tropical Botanical Garden (hau kuahiwi)

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NGSS: Core Idea: LS1.B, LS2.C

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Seed Saver

Dustin Wolkis helps protect Hawaii’s rarest plants

April 2020

By Jennifer Barone

Courtesy of National Tropical Botanical Garden

Dustin Wolkis holds a seed of the maiapilo plant, found only in Hawaii.

On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, a bushy plant with a yellow flower clings to the side of a steep cliff. It’s one of just three individuals of this type of plant, called hau kuahiwi (how koo-ah-hee-vee). If the individuals die, the species will go extinct.

Hawaii makes up less than 1 percent of the total land of the U.S. But it’s home to almost half of the country’s endangered plant species. Why are these plants at risk of dying out?

Over time, as people from different parts of the world settled in Hawaii, they brought non-native species with them. These species have become invasive. Non-native plants compete with native ones for space. Non-native goats and pigs gobble up the leaves and seeds of native plants. As a result, many Hawaiian plants can survive only on cliffs where the animals can’t reach them.

Dustin Wolkis is trying to save the plants. He’s the manager of the seed bank and laboratory at the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) on Kauai. The bank stores nearly 14 million seeds. If a plant population becomes too small, scientists can plant those seeds to try to help the species recover. Wolkis spoke with SuperScience about his work.

A bushy plant with a yellow flower clings to the side of a steep cliff. It’s on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. There are only three individuals of this type of plant. It’s called hau kuahiwi (how koo-ah-hee-vee). The species will go extinct if these plants die.

Hawaii makes up less than 1 percent of the U.S.’s total land. But it’s home to almost half of the country’s endangered plant species. Why are these plants at risk of dying out?

Over time, people from different parts of the world settled Hawaii. They brought non-native species with them. These species have become invasive. Non-native plants fight local ones for space. Non-native animals cause trouble too. Goats and pigs eat local plants’ leaves and seeds. Many Hawaiian plants can survive only on cliffs as a result. That’s where the animals can’t reach them.

Dustin Wolkis is trying to save the plants. He’s the manager of a seed bank and laboratory. It’s at the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) on Kauai. The bank stores nearly 14 million seeds. Sometimes, a plant’s numbers become too small. Scientists can plant stored seeds to help the species recover. Wolkis spoke with SuperScience about his work.

How did you get interested in plants?

After high school, I got a job in a store specializing in plant-based medicines. I learned so much there. I decided to go back to school and study biology. I loved studying plants outside. After that, I never looked back.

I got a job after high school at a store. It sold plant-based medicines. I learned so much there. I decided to go back to school. I studied biology. I loved learning about plants outside. I never looked back after that.

Why is it important to have a seed bank in Hawaii?

We’ve been called the extinction capital of the world. There are more than 230 plant species in Hawaii that have fewer than 50 individuals in the wild. Many are found on only one island and nowhere else in the world.

Hawaii has been called the extinction capital of the world. More than 230 plant species here have fewer than 50 individuals left in the wild. Many are found nowhere else in the world. They live on just one island.

Where is Hawaii?

Hawaii is made up of eight main islands and many smaller ones.

Where is Hawaii?

Hawaii is made up of eight main islands and many smaller ones.

How do you collect seeds for the seed bank?

Sometimes I fly out to remote places in a helicopter. Or I hike for a whole day to reach a particular plant. Some plants grow in steep places, with loose rocks or soil. For the most extreme locations, experienced scientists rappel off cliffs on a rope to collect seeds.

Sometimes, I fly out to remote places in a helicopter. Or I hike for a whole day to reach a specific plant. Some plants grow in steep places with loose rocks or soil. Trained scientists visit the most extreme locations. They lower themselves down cliffs with ropes. Then they collect seeds.

How do you preserve seeds?

A seed’s ability to germinate, or sprout, starts to decline as soon as we collect it. My job is to slow down that decline. First, we dry fresh seeds. Then weseal them in pouches

and cool them for storage. The building where we house our seeds also helps protect them. It’s made of concrete with thick glass windows, and it can withstand strong hurricane winds.

We regularly test stored seeds. If too few sprout, we know it’s time to get fresh seeds for that species. Any seeds that do grow are planted in the wild when possible.

A seed can germinate. But its ability to sprout drops as soon as we collect it. My job is to slow that process down. First, we dry fresh seeds. Then we seal them in pouches. We cool them for storage. There’s a building where we house our seeds. It also helps protect them. It’s made of concrete with thick glass windows. It can withstand strong hurricane winds.

We regularly test stored seeds. We know it’s time to get fresh seeds if too few sprout. Any seeds that do grow are planted in the wild when possible.