Native Hawaii fern that was feared extinct is found alive

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — A fern species that was believed to be extinct when the last known specimen died on Hawaii’s Big Island has been found on the island of Kauai. The native pendant kihi fern grows on the trunks of trees. Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports that the fern was believed to be extinct for several years until a team from the Hawaii Plant Extinction Prevention Program found another specimen on Kauai earlier this year. The last known Big Island specimen of the fern was found dead in 2015. State officials will try mass producing the newly found Kauai specimens. They hope to reintroduce them into the wild.