New documentary follows the botanists who rappel down cliffs in effort to save Hawaii's plant …

by: Nicole Napuunoa Posted: Sep 30, 2021 / 12:26 PM HST / Updated: Sep 30, 2021 / 12:33 PM HST HONOLULU (KHON2) — A new documentary checks in with the “Cliff Dwellers of Kaua’i…and the people who hang with them,” which documents botanists who regularly hang off cliffs to search for endangered native plants. Hawaii is home to 250 native plants that are close to extinction. This documentary highlights the climbers who find those plants and collect seeds to deposit into seed banks. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON’s morning podcast, every morning at 8 Adam Williams, a botanist with the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), and Scott Heintzman with the state’s Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) use a variety of technology to find target plants. From there they plan their descent toward the spot where they can take cuttings and seeds. Also featured in the program are other teams within PEPP that out-plant varieties that have been successfully propagated from collected seeds. One of PEPP’s success stories is restoring the number of plants of a species that was down to just three individuals to 75 new plants. Check out what’s going on around Hawaii…
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