Field trips
FIELD TRIP REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
Below is a list of pre- and post-conference field trips that are being offered. Registration for each is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that trips to outer islands require that participants schedule their own interisland air travel and lodging. To ensure the best rates on interisland travel, we recommend booking flights and hotels as soon as registration for your field trip is confirmed. If you have questions or concerns about any of the field trips, please contact the designated leaders listed below.
Please note that the Hawaiian Islands exhibit a great range of climates in a very small geographic area, and a single day’s trip may include both very hot/dry and very cold/wet conditions, so pack sun screen and a rain coat. The Rainfall Atlas of Hawaii provides an interactive map that is an excellent resource to consult when preparing for your visit.
Rainfall Atlas of Hawaii: http://rainfall.geography.hawaii.edu/
Island of Hawaii
FT1. Hawaii’s volcanic landscapes and montane forests
Trip leaders: Ali Ainsworth (aainswor@hawaii.edu), Jenn Randall, Corie Yanger
Dates: 5-6 July
5 July: Leave hotel at 9:00 a.m. Drive to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and take a series, of short, easy hikes to see a wide diversity of ecosystems ranging from relatively intact native Hawaiian rain forest to invaded coastal lowlands. Participants will have the opportunity to see numerous Hawaiian species and observe pioneer plant communities on Kilauea, the most active volcano in the world. Return to hotel for dinner.
Link to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
6 July: Leave hotel at 8:00 a.m. Drive up Saddle Road to the Puu Oo Trail and hike south through several high elevation (1800 m asl) habitat islands of mixed native Hawaiian plant species surrounded by pioneer communities on lava. Puu Oo Trail offers birders the opportunity to see a variety of Hawaiian honeycreepers and endangered species such as the Hawaiian hawk and Hawaiian goose. This will be a long day of hiking in fairly demanding conditions (10 km round trip). Return to hotel by 4:00 p.m.
Link to Puu Oo Trail:
http://hawaiitrails.ehawaii.gov/trail.php?TrailID=HA+47+002&island=Hawaii
Difficulty: Sites range from sea level to 1800 m above sea level, where weather will likely be cool and wet; good shoes and rain gear are essential. Protection from the sun is essential in the open habitats. Trails may be rough or slippery.
Interisland logistics: You must arrange your own air travel to and from Hilo, Hawaiʻi (suggested arrival the evening of 4 July; suggested departure after 6:30 p.m. on 6 July). Recommended lodging is at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel for the nights of 4 and 5 July.
Trips start and end in the parking lot of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel:
http://www.castleresorts.com/Home/accommodations/hilo-hawaiian-hotel
Cost: $150 per person, excluding airfare, hotel, and meals (lunch is provided both days). This is non-refundable.
Capacity: 18 participants
To register, click here: https://uhmcampusservices.wufoo.com/forms/m157b7a003fh6hb/
Island of Maui
FT2. Haleakala
THIS TRIP IS FULL
Trip leaders: Chuck Chimera (chimera@hawaii.edu), Hanna Mounce, Paul Krushelnycky
Dates: 12-13 July
12 July: Leave hotel at 8:30 a.m. Drive to Haleakala National Park to take a series of short, easy hikes to see subalpine and alpine shrublands, silversword plants, and views of Haleakala crater (2100-3050 m asl). Return to hotel between 6:00-6:30 pm.
Link to Haleakala National Park:
http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm
13 July: Leave hotel at 6:30 a.m. Drive to Waikamoi Preserve and hike deep into the preserve to see a montane cloud forest, plus native Hawaiian forest birds (1900-2000 m asl). This will be a long day of hiking in fairly demanding conditions (8 km round trip), with one group using a boardwalk for a portion of the trip (moderate), and the second group following a rougher forest trail (difficult). Return to hotel at 3:30 pm.
Link to Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve:
Difficulty: Most sites are at 1900-3000 m above sea level, where weather may be cold and quite wet; good shoes and rain gear are essential. Protection from the sun is essential in the subalpine and alpine shrublands. Trails may be rough or slippery.
Interisland logistics: You must arrange your own air travel to and from Kahului, Maui (Suggested arrival the evening of Friday, 11 July; suggested departure after 5:00 p.m. on Monday, 14 July). recommended lodging is at the Maui Beach Hotel for the nights of 11 and 12 July. The hotel provides a free airport shuttle & free shuttle service within a 5-mile radius (restaurants & shopping).
Trips start and end in the parking lot of the Maui Beach Hotel:
http://www.mauibeachhotel.net/
Cost: $150 per person, excluding airfare, hotel, and meals (lunch is provided both days). This is non-refundable.
Capacity: 12 participants
To register, click here: https://uhmcampusservices.wufoo.com/forms/m1rin2ww0smwn9r/
Island of Kauai
FT3. Kauaʻi forests and wetlands
THIS TRIP IS FULL
Trip leaders: Don Drake (dondrake@hawaii.edu), Lisa Crampton, Kim Shay
Dates: 12-14 July
12 July: Leave hotel at 8:00 a.m. Drive to Waimea State Park and Kokee State Park to take a series, of short, easy hikes to see dry and mesic montane shrublands and forests, plus native forest birds (1000-1200 m asl). Return to hotel for dinner.
Link to Waimea Canyon State Park:
http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/kauai/index.cfm?park_id=4
Link to Kokee State Park:
http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/kauai/index.cfm?park_id=7
13 July: Leave hotel at 7:30 a.m. Drive to Kokee State Park and hike deep into the Alakai Wilderness Preserve to see montane rain forest, cloud forest, and extensive bogs, plus native forest birds (1200 m asl). This will be a long day of hiking in fairly demanding conditions (12 km round trip), but we could split into two groups if not everyone wants to go the full distance. Stop for dinner in Kalaheo on the way back to the hotel.
14 July: Leave hotel at 8:00 a.m. Stay at sea level and drive to the north side of the island to visit Kilauea Point and Hanalei National Wildlife Refuges to see wetland birds (in taro fields) and seabirds, and other places of interest.
Link to Kilauea Point NWR:
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/kilauea_point/
Link to Hanalei NWR:
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hanalei/
Difficulty: Mountain sites are at 1000-1200 m above sea level, where weather may be cool and quite wet. Protection from the sun is essential in the open habitats. Trails may be rugged and slippery.
Interisland logistics: You must arrange your own air travel to and from Lihue, Kauaʻi (suggested arrival the evening of 11 July; suggested departure after 8:00 p.m. on 14 July). Recommended lodging will be at the Garden Island Inn for the nights of 11, 12, and 13 July.
Trips start and end in the parking lot of the Garden Island Inn:
http://gardenislandinn.com/index.html
Cost: $200 per person, excluding airfare, hotel, and meals (lunch is provided all 3 days). This is non-refundable.
Capacity: 12 participants
To register, click here: https://uhmcampusservices.wufoo.com/forms/m1g7uq1j1cqdi7k/
Island of Oahu
FT 4. Kaena Point coastal restoration
Trip leaders: Lindsay Young (lindsay@pacificrimconservation.com), Eric VanderWerf (ewerf@hawaii.rr.com)
Date: 6 July
Leave University of Hawaii at 7:30 a.m. and drive to the north shore. Hike along the coast (8-9 km round trip), passing through highly-disturbed and invaded dry, lowland vegetation. Enter Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve, a 20 ha reserve which is one of the last coastal strand ecosystems left in the main Hawaiian Islands. It is the site of Hawaii’s first predator proof-fence and subsequent predator removal, making it Hawaii’s only ‘mainland island’. It is home to several hundred nesting Laysan Albatross (during the winter months only) and thousands of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Up to 14 other seabird species regularly transit the reserve both over land and from sea. Endangered Hawaiian monk seals and Spinner dolphins are also regularly seen from the trail. Much of the vegetation here is dominated by native coastal plants, including several endangered species. Return to UH at 3:00 p.m.
Links to Kaena Point State Park and Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve:
http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/index.cfm?park_id=19
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/nars/reserves/oahu/kaena/
Difficulty: The hike is along a rough, unpaved road which can be muddy if it rains, so appropriate running/hiking shoes are required. The entire day will be spent exposed to wind, sun, salt spray, and/or rain. Protection from sun is essential. At least two litres of water is recommended.
Cost: $50 per person to cover costs of transportation and lunch (provided). This is non-refundable.
Capacity: 22 participants
To register, click here: https://uhmcampusservices.wufoo.com/forms/m1pf8dx209poa4g/
FT5. Waianae Mountains montane mesic forest
Trip leaders: Clifford Morden (cmorden@hawaii.edu), Tom Ranker
Date: 6 July
Leave University of Hawaii at 8:00 a.m. and drive (40 minutes) to the southern end of the Waianae Mountains. After driving through a gated mountain community, the road ends at the trailhead. The hike proceeds (4 km) through a bamboo forest followed by diverse mesic forest of largely native species interspersed with alien vegetation. There are nice views of central Oahu and the Waianae coast. Return to UH by 4:00 p.m.
Difficulty: Moderate. There is relatively little change in elevation along the trail (which is about 700-800 m above sea level), but the trail may be muddy and narrow in places. It may be cool and wet.
Cost: $50 per person to cover costs of transportation and lunch (provided). This is non-refundable.
Capacity: 20 participants
To register, click here: https://uhmcampusservices.wufoo.com/forms/mtwq5hm0zrzs9b/
FT6. Koolau Mountains montane rain forest
THIS TRIP IS CANCELLED
Trip leaders: Tom Ranker (ranker@hawaii.edu), Clifford Morden
Date: 12 July
Leave University of Hawaii at 8:00 a.m. and drive (20 minutes) to Mount Tantalus in the southern Koolau Mountains above Honolulu. Hike 6 km along trails dominated by non-native rain forest, but with many native species persisting in places, including a fragment in which native forest is being restored. Return to UH by 4:00 p.m.
Link to Kalawahine Trail and Manoa Cliffs Trail:
http://hawaiitrails.ehawaii.gov/island.php?island=Oahu
Link to Manoa Cliff restoration project:
http://manoacliffreforestation.wordpress.com/the-project/
Difficulty: Moderate. There is relatively little change in elevation along the trail (which is about 400-500m above sea level), but the trail may be muddy and narrow in places. It may be cool and wet.
Cost: $50 per person to cover costs of transportation and lunch (provided). This is non-refundable.
Capacity: 22 participants
To register, click here: https://uhmcampusservices.wufoo.com/forms/m10hmcm01ee54uf/
FT7. Mount Kaala cloud forest and snails
THIS TRIP IS FULL
Trip leaders: Nori Yeung (nyeung@hawaii.edu), Ken Hayes
Date: 12 July
Leave University of Hawaii at 7:45 a.m. and drive up the Mt. Kaala Access Road to the Mt. Kaala Natural Area Reserve. Mount Kaala is the highest point on Oahu (1200 m above sea level) and home to many endemic fauna and flora. The hike will be along a 1-km boardwalk through a high-elevation stunted cloud forest dominated by endemic species. Mt Kaala is currently home to 6 of the 10 Hawaiian land snail families and many species are endemic to this particular mountain top. You will not be able to see some of these species any where else in the world. Return to UH at 4:00 p.m.
link to Mount Kaala Natural Area Reserve:
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/nars/reserves/oahu/kaala/
Difficulty: Easy, but may be slippery on wet boardwalk. It will be cool and wet and sunscreen is recommended. The boardwalk is narrow such that participants will be walking through single file. To be sure everyone is able to converse with the trip leaders, there will be two groups of 4 participants led by a trip leader.
Cost: $75 per person to cover costs of transportation and lunch (provided). This is non-refundable.
Capacity: 8 participants
To register, click here: https://uhmcampusservices.wufoo.com/forms/m1isbwrz1nkoqiy/