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Imported Christmas trees are a common way that invasive species hitch a ride to Hawai i, and Brewer and her team are trying to raise awareness about the risks of out-of-state trees and other decorative plants. We do a really big push around this time of year to get people to think about what they re purchasing and where that came from, says Brewer.
For those of us who can t imagine Christmas without a tree, Brewer suggests reaching out to local nurseries to see what they have to offer. Several popular species of cypress and pine are grown throughout the islands. Look, there s also these wonderful local alternatives that you can buy that were grown here and are really part of the Hawaiian ecosystem, she said.