Get Ready for a Field Trip!

Dear Parents and Students,

As you know, in four days we will be visiting the Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Gardens (HTBG) on Onomea Bay along the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island.

This adventure will get us out into the gardens where "the trails themselves provide an 'outdoor classroom' of living plants. Signs along the trails identify plants and trees by common and botanical names, as well as by country of origin. Some signs relate legends connected with particular plants and tell stories of garden landmarks."

The founders of the HTBG, Dan and Pauline Lutkenhouse, explain that ". . . subtle vistas unfold as you meander along the garden paths. Patterned foliage and brilliantly colored flowers invite close inspection, enticing you further into the mysteries of the jungle. This is the allure of paradise. The Hawaiians have a word for it--aina--"the spirit of the land." Truly the garden is a perfect expression of the state motto of Hawaii--ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono--"the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."

There are over 2,000 species of plants at the HTBG. I wonder how many we will get to see!

Take some time before we go to explore the HTBG website at the following URL: http://www.htbg.com/index.html. Then prepare for the trip by gathering the following items:

1. a camera (although your cell phone might do just fine)
2. some drinking water (that you will carry in and out, even if the bottle is empty)
3. some sun screen (optional)
4. some bug spray (optional)
5. an umbrella (optional)
6. a list of five questions you would like to ask the tour guide and/or specific things you would like to see during this field trip (required)
7. a smile and conscientious appreciation of this beautiful site

We will leave the school at 8:00 a.m. this Saturday morning (1.21.12). So please arrive by 7:45 a.m. to sign in and load up. We should return at approximately 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided for everyone.

Let me know if you have questions. I look forward to going to the Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Gardens with you this Saturday!

Aloha!

Ms. Ray

P.S. We will be using many of the pictures you take at the HTBG for a variety of learning activities, so plan on taking lots and lots of pictures!