Hawaii is training a new wave of agriculture inspectors to keep invasive pests out of the islands — good news for local farmers and anyone worried about crop and ecosystem damage.

• The state agriculture and biosecurity department is launching the first biosecurity academy to train new inspectors.
• Leeward Community College is partnering on the program, which runs five months starting in November.
• Up to 20 recruits will be picked for the first class.
• Inspectors are the front line against invasive species arriving through ports and airports.

Outlook: Applications open ahead of the November start, with the first trained inspectors ready for duty by spring.