ʻŌhiʻa Virtual Field Trip - January 2021
During the Fall semester, Mālama ʻĀina Hilo staff started offering virtual huakaʻi (field trips) for virtual school classrooms. This is a way of continuing place-based learning when traditional field trips are not allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions. These Virtual Huakaʻi incorporated a range of components offered through typical in-person excursions, such as oral histories, community building, teaching of kuleana, respect and sensitivity for perspectives of kūpuna and keiki, and providing a cultural resource platform.
For example, our huaka‘i to Laupāhoehoe Forest Reserve taught students about the history and importance of ʻōhiʻa lehua in Hawaiʻi and its conservation status. We also offered visits to Wauli, Hilo Bay, and Pu‘u.
