CONNECTING CHILDREN & FAMILIES TO NATURE HAWAI‘I NATURE CENTER 2022
OUR MISSION Hawai‘i Nature Center seeks to foster awareness, appreciation, understanding and stewardship of Hawai‘i’s environment by educating children with an interactive and immersive approach.
OUR HISTORY OF SERVICE This noble work started deep in a tropical
In the early 1990s, HNC branched out to Maui
rainforest in 1972 when the Outdoor Circle’s
with a center in ‘ ao Valley where it has
Parks Committee proposed an education
offered a vibrant collection of programs ever
center in O‘ahu’s Makiki Valley. In 1981, the
since. This environmental education nonprofit
Makiki Environmental Education Center
is not a chapter of a larger organization. HNC
opened and five years later grew to an
is home-grown, local and independent. It
independent 501(c)3 non-profit the Hawai‘i
relies on support from friends like you.
Nature Center.
Ī
A TRAIL BLAZER OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Recognizing the benefits of connecting children and adults to nature HNC has been a pioneer in environmental
Each year educators deliver programs to
education and protection in 1981.
18,000 school children of which 9,500 are from underserved schools. Nature Adventure
HNC programs are conducted outdoors and
Camps are held during school breaks
expose children, ages 6 to 11, to nature and
promoting environmental stewardship to an
educate on topics such as: forest, wetland,
additional 2,000 children annually.
coastal ecosystems, climate change and personal responsibility to protect and
HNC is distinct as both of our Centers are
preserve Hawai‘i’s natural resources.
located adjacent to unique Hawai‘i habitats providing comprehensive learning opportunities.
MORE GREEN TIME The lessons HNC taught range from the water and nutrient cycle to more interdisciplinary issues of healthy watersheds. These topics become the scientific building blocks for the next generation of environmental leaders to understand and address more complex issues such as climate change.
In-the-field curriculum brings in-classroom teaching to life with observations, investigations and experiments.
LESS SCREEN TIME On average, Americans between the age of 8 to 12 spend four to six hours every day on screens. HNC supports upwards of 70,000 hours of outdoor education every year.
OUR WORK IS IMPACTFUL Stanford University* systematically searched academic literature and identified 119 peer-reviewed studies that were published over 20 years that measured impacts of environmental education on K through 12th grade students.
ENVIRONMENTAL: BENEFITS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION knowledge in science, mathematics, reading,
improved academic performance
writing and more
enhanced critical thinking skills development of personal growth and lifebuilding skills such as confidence, autonomy
emotional and social skills environmentally friendly behavior academic skills (21st Century skills)
and leadership
motivation to learn, including enthusiasm for
increased civic engagement
and interest in school
positive environmental behaviors
*https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00958964.2017.1366155
SINCE OPENING OUR DOORS...
1 MILLION children have been educated since 1981
We have successfully introduced five programs that integrate State of Hawai‘i DOE: Next Generation Science Standards into HNC curriculum
$ 13,000 in scholarship funds awarded to Title 1 families to attend Nature Adventure Camps (2020)
PROGRAMS
Nature Adventure Camp (NAC) School Programs Outdoor EDventure Days Homeschool Science Series Weekend Educational Program
20,000 KEIKI & ADULTS connected to nature each year
10,000 KEIKI
per year from under-served Title 1 schools
HAPPY FAMILIES HI Nature Center has been a Silver Lining. I can’t count how many times Alex and I spoke to one another, agreeing that HI Nature Center was the bright light and saving grace of the pandemic. You have been instrumental in helping Nina avoid screens, social isolation and associated mental health problems. Unlike many parents this year, we have watched our daughter learn, grown and thrive!”
We are so happy to have found this Nature Camp for Nainoa! He is really lucky to be able to come to such a beautiful place and be free to explore, play, be creative and most all, have fun with other friends!”
We truly appreciate HNC and its awesome teachers for keeping our daughter safe and happy during her summer nature camp sessions. She looks happy when I drop her off and excitedly tells me about her adventures (esp the fishing at the stream and the hikes) during the day. This has been a blessing when parents like me and my husband are trying to figure out how to keep working fulltime, and having a safe place for our daughter (she is our world) to spend her days outdoors and with other children, exploring.”
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Todd Cullison
Taylor Fujimoto
Executive Director
Education Program Manager
Pauline Kawamoto Operations & Volunteer Program Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022 President
Secretary
Treasurer
President Emeritus
Lacey Nakaguma
Tran Chinery
Guy Churchill
Eric Wright
Bank of Hawai‘i
Alexander & Baldwin
Bank of Hawai‘i
Par Hawaii
POHAI NU‘UHIWA CAMPBELL
G. ROBERT JOHNSTON
JERRY RAUCKHORST
Esq., Cades Schutte
Hawaii Pacific Solar
Retired from Catholic Charities Hawai‘i
JAMES GEIGER, ESQ.
MCKIBBIN MIST
Mancini Welch & Geiger LLP
D.R. Horton
NATHAN SAINT CLARE AHL
JOSH HARGROVE
NICHOLAS PASLAY
Waikiki Prince Hotel
Hawaiian Electric
MICHAEL VACHIO JL Capital