The projects listed here are a sampling of typical long-term activities running every year. Students often join these existing projects to round out their efforts, but students must also initiate and manage original projects of their own design.
Aloha Kai
WHEAPCS hosts nearly 2,000 visitors every year, many of whom are elementary school pupils taking an Aloha Kai Tour. WHEA students teach science mini-lessons on their project topics. By 2006, the project had hosted over 15,000 children.
Snorkel Survey and Reef Teach
Students monitor reef health by doing “indicator species” counts, and also teach malihini environmentally sound reef visitation habits. This project is a partnership between WHEA and the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Extension Service, and has educated thousands of visitors.
Electric and Solar Vehicles
WHEA has raced the HEI Electron Marathon since 1997, with students building a new car from scratch every year since then. However, they have set their sights higher for 2007, hoping to race a solar powered vehicle across Australia in the World Solar Challenge. WHEA has its roots in the 1990 Konawaena Solar Car team that won the high school division of that race, finishing 18th overall…read more
Turtle Survey
Fibropapilloma tumors are a serious natural threat to protected Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Hawaii. Kona waters are home to a relatively healthy population, so far free of these grotesque tumors. Students take data on tagged and untagged turtles up and down the coast.
Malama `Aina
Reforestation, GPS, GIS, trail surveys, hiking and camping make up the off-campus elements of this project. On-campus, students work with seed scarification techniques, and sometimes with symbiotic fungi to help propagate endangered native plants.
