"Connecting People with the Park"

OUR MISSION
To support and promote the protection,restoration, understanding and appreciation of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Hawai`i Volcanoes Institute


Learning Adventures

in and around
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park

HISTORY - ARCHEOLOGY - GEOLOGY - HAWAIIAN CULTURE - BOTANY - WILDLIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY - HIKING - VOLCANOLOGY - VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES


Register early!
Call (808) 985-7373 or Email us

Program enrollments are limited to ensure a personal experience and to protect Park ecosystems.
Visit our website often - new programs are added throughout the year!

Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.

HAWAIIAN FERNS: IDENTIFICATION & ECOLOGY. Join botanist Tim Tunison to learn how to identify Hawaiian ferns and fern allies. The day includes sessions on fern structures and life cycles, understanding the ecology of ferns, and propagation using fern spores (including a small terrarium to germinate the ferns at home). Short hikes in three highly varied fern environments--rain forest, mesic forest, and dry lava flows--allow practice in the field using a custom-made identification key for the Kilauea summit area. Cost per person is $40 for members / $55 for non-members.

Register! View Program Details (PDF)



Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BIRDING PU'U 'O'O TRAIL. Award-winning photographer and wildlife biologist Jack Jeffrey leads an adventure in search of native forest birds along the Pu'u 'O'o Trail (between miles 22 & 23 on Saddle Road). Hike about two-and-a-half miles through several different age kipuka, or islands within islands. These native forest remnants are located on the windward slopes of Mauna Loa at 6,000 feet elevation and are habitat for numerous native forest birds and some non-native bird species. Cost per person is $55 for members ($30 for student members) / $80 for non-members.

Register! View Program Details (PDF)



Saturday, March 20, 2010

BIRDING PU'U 'O'O TRAIL. Award-winning photographer and wildlife biologist Jack Jeffrey leads an adventure in search of endangered birds. Hike about two miles on a tree-lined road that winds through old growth native montane rainforest in the 32,733 acre National Wildlife Refuge. Hakalau Forest is habitat for 20 introduced bird species, 13 migratory birds, and 12 endemic forest birds, plus the endangered Hawaiian bat and 29 rare and endangered plants. Cost per person is $60 for members / $75 for non-members/ $55 for students (limited availability).



Saturday, April 10, 2010

HOLOHOLO HUALALAI: PINZTREK ADVENTURE. Expect a rocky scramble in Hawai'i Forest & Trail's rugged, fast, and fun Pinzgauer vehicles--up the cool misty lava-scaped slopes of Hualalai to its seldom visited summit. This off-road journey travels to magnificent coastal viewpoints and stunning lava formations, including stops to explore the mountain on foot and walk through a forest of native birdsong and investigate a lava tube. Cost per person and is $110 for members ( $75 for student members) / $150 for non-members. Includes lunch.

Register!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

SCHOOL STUDENT SERVICE LEARNING DAY. Details yet to be announced.



Saturday & Sunday, May 22 & 23, 2010

"IN THE FIELD": NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY. Join award-winning photographer and wildlife biologist Jack Jeffrey for inspirational sessions of photographing the splendor of Hawai'i's native flora and fauna. Various aspects of nature photography discussed include equipment, exposure, composition, lighting, close-ups, and photo ethics. Start early in the morning at the top of the Mauna Loa Road within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and meanders down the road to Kipukapuaulu. ONE DAY: Cost per person is $50 for members ($40 for student members) / $70 for non-members. TWO DAYS: Cost per person is $90 for members ($80 for student members) / $125 for non-members. Includes lunch. Day 1 is designed for those with limited field experience using their cameras. Day 2 is an advanced tip, tricks, and techniques seminar for those who have completed Day 1 or who already have some experience with their cameras in the field.

Register!

June 2010

ENCOUNTERS AT THE ZOO. Details yet to be announced.

September 25, 2010

WAIPI'O VALLEY RIM HIKE. Details yet to be announced.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

FINDING MUSHROOMS IN THE PARK. Details yet to be announced.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

PARTNERS IN PROTECTION. Details yet to be announced.


View past educational programs


View other field schools and institutes


ABOUT THE INSTITUTE

The Hawai'i Volcanoes Institute is a program of the Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. The Institute is an outgrowth of the Friends' popular field seminar series that has excited participants for more than 10 years. 2009 marked our first year as a Park educational Institute, and we are providing more courses in more subjects than ever before. Our expert instructors have a gift for bringing their subjects to life and engaging students of all ages. Whether you are an island resident or visitor, we invite you to explore and learn with us in this dynamic and evolving land.

Hawai'i Volcanoes Institute's wide-ranging educational offerings are designed to enrich the experience of all Park visitors eager to learn more about the Big Island's geology, biology, history, and culture. In this remarkable Park we see the earth being born. We marvel at the variety and uniqueness of the plants and animals that evolved only here. Dramatic and varied island ecosystems range from undersea habitats to glaciated landscapes above 13,000 feet. In this Park we see evidence of first people who reached these islands centuries ago and a thriving contemporary Hawaiian culture deeply connected to this heritage and this land.

Hawai'i Volcanoes Institute provides many lenses through which to see and understand this World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. Hawaiian stories, mele (song), and hula (dance) provide compelling views. Scientists in many fields offer intriguing insights. Institute program leaders, all experts in their subjects, make our courses come alive. We invite you to come with us, to explore and be renewed in the newest land on earth.


FRIENDS PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is pleased to launch the Hawai'i Volcanoes Institute, an educational venture building upon years of successful field seminar programs offered by the Friends. Hawai'i Volcanoes Institute will continue this tradition of learning and exploring by offering in-depth programs that provide enriching experiences led by trained naturalists, scientists, and cultural experts, on the myriad of resources of our Park. It is our desire that this endeavor will foster a greater appreciation and sense of stewardship -- aloha 'aina -- not only for our National Park, but for all the lands, seas, and skies that give us sustenance and spirit.

Ab Valencia, President
Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

PARK SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE

Hawai'i Volcanoes Institute shares the Park's educational mission as a partner providing quality programs that inspire and engage people in the understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of this remarkable Park. The National Park Service cannot preserve Parks alone; it is only the larger community who can protect our shared natural and cultural heritage.

Cindy Orlando, Superintendent
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Photos courtesy Lanaya Deily



Connecting People with the Park
Hawai`i Volcanoes Institute