The 28 students hiked an active volcano, swam with manta rays
Published in the May 27-June 9, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Haley Young
Photo courtesy George Flores
The Britton Middle School Volcano Kids pose for a picture while touring a rainforest on their visit to Hawaii last month.
Hands-on learning is important to the Britton Middle School Volcano Kids Club students. That’s why 28 students and five adult chaperones traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii to discover the wonders of volcanoes, marine biology and the culture of the state.
On April 5, the Morgan Hill group ventured to the city of Kona where they stayed at the luxurious Royal Kona Resort.
George Flores and Chris Hudnut were the two Britton teachers who put on this expedition with help from parent chaperone Nicole Duarte. Flores said that the trip was an incredible and academic voyage for the students.
“This trip was an educational event for the eighth-grade students because they had an opportunity to experience hands-on science and how fascinating science is,” he said. “For example, students hiked five miles in and out of the Kilauea Volcano (at Hawaii’s Volcano National Park). Imagine feeling the power and force of an active volcano.”
The group experienced many activities such as kayaking, paddle boarding, and snorkeling with manta rays.
Britton eighth grader Aidain LaChance described snorkeling as a very “cool” and exciting excursion.
“There were so many varieties of fish including the state fish the Humuhumunukunukuuapua’a,” she said.
She went snorkeling with manta rays on a night dive with the group. The crew member of the dive boat put out surfboards with special flood lights on them to attract the manta rays that eat plankton, small shrimp-like creatures that live in the ocean.
The students learned that the Big Island of Hawaii has 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones including rainforests, the ocean, and the arid south end of the island. Hawaii is also the only U.S. state with a tropical rainforest.
Abril Flores, one of the eighth graders, enjoyed hiking through the rainforest to get down into the Kilauea Volcano crater.
“While on the volcano crater, we saw a few species of plants living on the hardened lava,” she said. “We also saw many steam vents. These steam vents release warm air so not as much pressure builds up in the volcano. Too much pressure in the volcano can cause an eruption.”
The students also went snorkeling at Kealakekue Bay where they could also go “SNUBA” diving, an underwater activity that is a combination of snorkeling and SCUBA diving, said Brian Wilde, a student who experienced the adventure.
“I was interested in SNUBA because I wanted to do more than snorkeling and I wanted to go deeper under water. SNUBA was amazing! I got to see many more fish underwater than I ever did when I was snorkeling.”
The expedition cost $2,400 for each student. To raise money, they gained the support of the community, including parents and teachers, by conducting fundraisers. They wrote letters asking for donations to family, friends and Morgan Hill businesses.
All of the Volcano Kids Club participants would like to thank the community for their helping hand and their generosity, George said. All of the community was supportive of this “amazing opportunity” which was a dream-come-true trip for students that let them learn much about science, he said.
This story was written by Britton Middle School eighth-grade student Haley Young for Morgan Hill Life. She is a member of the school’s Volcano Kids Club.
