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Program Information

• Do you learn best by getting out of the classroom and into the field?
  
  
• Are you interested in exploring one of the most geologically and climatologically diverse places on earth?
  
  
• Do you have an interest in the connections between ecology and society?

The Island of Hawaii might be considered the tallest mountain in the world. The majority of the mountain is under the water. Mauna Kea rises over 33,000 feet from the sea floor to its peak at 13,792 feet above sea level. The BELL Hawaii program focuses on the interdependence of land, sea and the life systems they support.

The first half of this course will take place in Volcano National Park, where students will explore the dynamic geological processes which continue to shape the island. The second part of the program is based on the beach south of Kona providing the perfect site for investigating marine life and the ways in which the sea has transformed life on the Island.

Because of Hawaii's geographic isolation and unique ecosystems, the Island has evolved a culture as unique as the environment. BELL Hawaii will examine that culture and its relationship to the natural world around it.

In this course, students will:

• Investigate the geological processes which form the chain of Hawaiian islands
  
  
• Explore native Hawaiian culture, traditions and legends by spending time with hula instructors, musicians, local botanists and story tellers
  
  
• Hike through volcano national park and observe steam vents, lava tubes, calderas and kipukas
  
  
• Observe the lava flow at night-(depends on weather and lava flow)
  
  
• Be welcomed and “blessed” at the Kilauea Volcano through a traditional Hawaiian ritual
  
  
• Hike through dramatic rainforests on the northwest side of the island and learn about the geological forces which shape this coast line.
  
  
• Explore the differences in climate as we drive from rainforests to savannahs and observe changes in vegetation and wildlife
  
  
• Kayak to and then snorkel in Kealakekua Bay to observe the amazing biodiversity of this coral reef
  
  
• Study coral reef systems and the creatures that inhabit them
  
  
• Meet with Native Hawaiian experts who will discuss the impact of colonization, sugar plantations, and development on the Island
  
  
• Investigate the life systems of the Island, their relationships to each other and the factors which have threatened to them over time
  

Typical Day

Our schedule will vary each day, but it typically includes:

8:00 - Breakfast

9-12:00 - Hike, presentation, educational activities

12:00 - Picnic lunch

1-4:00 - Educational activity-panel, hike, snorkel, etc

5:00 Supper

6:30 Evening program

10:00 Lights out