"Hawai'i's spinner dolphins are nocturnal and therefore particularly vulnerable to human disturbance. They rest close to shore at mid-day, at the height of human activity, in shallow bays such as Kealakekua. Boats, kayakers and swimmers disturb their critical rest period, leaving the sleep-deprived dolphins open to a host of possible health issues." - Dr. Jan Ostman-Lind, co-founder and President of the Kula Nai'a Wild Dolphin Research Foundation, Inc. In March - June, The Kohala Center is co-sponsoring The Nai'a Project: 2004, a series of events centered around dolphin education and conservation. Many of the presentations are free of charge and open to the public. Read more and view spinner dolphin photos.

Five Island students have been selected from a pool of over 150 candidates nationwide to participate in Brown University's Environmental Leadership Lab in Hawai'i this April. The leadership laboratory is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by Brown University and The Kohala Center. The ten-day program will take participants to Volcano to study geology, to South Kona to study forest ecology and native plants, and to the Kohala Coast to study marine science. "I have lived on the island of Hawaii for nearly eight years, more than half my life. I have seen volcanoes before; I have walked in tropical forests, and swam in the crystal clear blue waters of the sea, as I watched fish frolic in the coral reefs. However, I have never done these things surrounded by professionals, experts in their fields. To do so, to see the island of Hawaii more clearly for what it is, not only a paradise, but a scientific wonder, would be amazing in itself." - Noelani K. Penney, scholarship recipient from Honoka'a High School. Read more.

Melissa Duhaime, a Cornell senior majoring in Microbiology, has been in Hawai'i for about seven weeks now. She describes her experience in Hawai'i so far: "After 21 years of living in New York, Hawai'i has been a big reality shift. It took me five weeks to adjust. At first I felt out of control. I was used to reading textbooks for 4-5 hours a day, and it felt like here I wasn't learning. Now I realize that I am taking in things every second. I am learning when I'm talking, walking, and sitting, not just when I'm studying. I know I have already learned more here than at home. When my aunt visited last week, I took her on a tour of the island. As I told her all about the different volcanoes, I was really impressed just to listen to myself talk." Read Visit to Waipi'o: Building a Foundation in the Mud and view photos of the students at work.

For the past two years, The Kohala Center staff has been quietly stirring the pot: inviting interested scholars to visit Hawai'i Island to see firsthand the outstanding resources our Island classroom has to offer them and their students. We have created some impressive ripples: The Hawai'i Island Energy Roundtable, Cornell's semester-long environmental sciences program, and pre-collegiate programs to be launched this April in cooperation with Brown University.

We are pleased to announce that we are now ready to our feet firmly on the ground. The Kohala Center has recently opened an office in the historic Lindsey House, located behind the High Country Traders shops, in the heart of Waimea town (65-1291 Kawaihae Road). Our office is open from 9 am - 3 pm daily. Stop in and say hello to our office staff, Sue Loewenhardt and Edith McCafferty. Lindsey House is also home to the Waimea Visitor Center, and we are currently seeking community volunteers to help us staff the Visitor Center. If you are interested, please contact Sue Loewenhardt at 887-6411 or srl@kohalacenter.org. Read more about The Kohala Center.