Pili to the Rescue! ‘āina powered erosion control.

Hawai‘i’s leeward slopes are challenged by invasive grasses, sediment erosion, and wildfire risks; restoring native vegetation in these areas is expensive and often relies on plastic-intensive techniques. Terraformation’s Pili Grass Bio-Mats Pilot Project is aimed at combating these very challenges! —These woven bio-mats of native Heteropogon contortus (Pili grass) will function as biodegradable geotextiles, suppressing invasive grass regrowth, reducing erosion, retaining moisture, and enabling out-plants via pre-cut planting holes. Additionally, the pili grass used for weaving the mats will be seeding, allowing native grass restoration to occur simultaneously.