Press Kit

NEW GUIDE HIGHLIGHTS SCIENCE ADVENTURES ON HAWAI‘I’S DIVERSE, DRAMATIC BIG ISLAND

Hilo, Hawai‘i’s Big Island (September 2007) – Renowned world-wide for its beautiful beaches, active volcanoes, and friendly, vibrant cultures, Hawai‘i is now offering visitors a new and somewhat unexpected reason to come to Paradise: science.

That’s the message of a just-printed guide to natural science adventures on Hawai‘i’s Big Island, created by the Big Island Visitors Bureau, titled “Science & Adventure on Hawai‘i’s Big Island.”

Perhaps the first travel & tourism booklet anywhere devoted strictly to science, the 24-page guide describes the Big Island as one of the world’s most fascinating natural environments, inviting visitors to experience a “living laboratory of scientific phenomena and a showcase of dramatic environmental processes.”

Visitors can explore a 4,000-square-mile Hawaiian island that contains two of the world’s tallest volcanoes, (Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa), one of the planet’s most continuously active volcanoes (Kīlauea), and 11of the world’s 13 main climate zones.

Visitors to Hawai‘i Island will also find rare, endemic bird species, diverse marine life, coral reef ecosystems and native Hawaiian rainforests. Hawai‘i Island is also a hot spot for astronomy, with the world’s largest and most powerful telescopes atop Mauna Kea, plus is a focus for research and demonstration projects in renewable energy, coldwater aquaculture, volcanology and ocean and environmental sciences.

Ancient Hawaiians paved the way for today’s modern science here, and are highly regarded for their use of the stars for precise celestial navigation in their discovery of the Islands. Hawaiians also developed sophisticated systems of agriculture and aquaculture and incorporated scientific knowledgeable of volcanoes, natural history, biology and oceanography into their daily lives.

The colorful guide is divided into six areas of scientific interest: Volcanoes and Volcanology, Astronomy, Geography/Biology/Natural History, Oceanography/Marine Science, Aquaculture/Agriculture and Renewable Energy Resources.

Each of the sections describes a variety of scientific adventures visitors can easily access, including natural sites, research facilities, tours, museums, informational centers and tours. Each adventure listing has contact phone numbers, hours of operation and other details, along with a location keyed to a map of Hawai‘i Island.

Highlights among the more than two dozen adventures are the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, stargazing and telescopes on the summit of 13,796-foot Mauna Kea, the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, the Ellison Onizuka Space Center, the Pacific Tsunami Museum, the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, the Hawai‘i Gateway Energy Center and a variety of natural areas and self-guided and commercial scientific tours.

The guide also contains a Resources section listing books, publications and websites related to the six main science interest categories. There are also links to science educational opportunities on Hawai‘i Island, including travel/study tours, educational programs and conferences.

Produced with the support of the County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development, the visitor-friendly, 4” x 9” format guide contains numerous attractive color photos as well as a location reference map of the Island of Hawai‘i.

“The Island of Hawai‘i really is a science paradise and we believe this new adventure guide opens up an entirely new, educational and exciting experience for visitors,” notes George Applegate, Executive Director of the Big Island Visitors Bureau. “Hawai‘i Governor Linda Lingle has been a strong supporter and advocate of science tourism because it highlights the world-class research in the state, showcases the islands’ precious environment and natural resources, and gives visitors another way to experience all that our islands have to offer.”

Copies of the Science & Adventure on Hawai‘i’s Big Island guide may be obtained from the Big Island Visitors Bureau by calling (808) 961-5797 or by e-mailing info@bigisland.org. The guide can also be viewed online at www.bigisland.org/activities-learning

Digital images available upon request

Note: BIVB recognizes the use of diacritical markings (i.e., glottal stop (‘), macron (ā) in place names of Hawai‘i, such as Kīlauea. However, BIVB respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.

Media Contact:
Jessica Ferracane
President, Irondog Communications LLC
Representing the Big Island Visitors Bureau
P.O. Box 1093
Kurtistown, HI 96760
Cell: (808) 895-5740
Home office: (808) 968-0624
Email Inquiries