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Photo by Clark Little While Pacific Quest’s students were nestled in the hills high in Kau and well out of any tsunami danger zones (roughly 1500 feet in elevation), coastal regions in Hawaii today were on high alert.  As many followed the news on their computers and televisions many Hawaii residents were forced to evacuate …

As established in the previous blog post Hawaii’s clean energy intiative, Hawaii is making strides in eliminating the state’s severe dependence on imported oil and working toward shifting to renewable energy resources.  In a recent discussion on NPR, experts highlighted that Hawaii is meeting it’s short term goals in utilizing renewable energy resources.  The clean …

Mauna Kea, planet Earth’s tallest mountain (when measured from sea floor to summit) rises 13,796 feet above sea level. It is arguably the best place in the world to look at the stars. On Tuesday afternoon, Pacific Quest’s Malama students had the rare opportunity to don long-johns and winter hats, as they made the trip …

About three months ago an 18 year old was sitting in a psychiatric hospital staring down a paranoid thought disorder and a bi-polar diagnosis.  The psychiatrist reported that this individual would not be successful without consistent medical and psychiatric management.  I thought PQ would offer more than doctor visits each week.  Through the dedicated relationship  …

On Friday Jan 15th the group visited the Na’alehu Community Center to help the O Kau Kakou organization set up for the community free dinner. The group was very helpful in arranging tables for the 100 or so people they expected to attend the dinner. The center bustled with the activity of many people preparing …

“Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution — processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with unique ecosystems, and a distinct human culture. The park highlights two of the world’s most active volcanoes, and offers insights on the birth of the …

Amy B Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens is a 15-acre stretch of land that was donated to the Bishop Museum by Amy Greenwell upon her death in 1974. Greenwell had been an avid archeologist and botanist who wanted to the community to have access to this rich land for generations to come. The Bishop Museum has since …

Punalu’u is an area steeped in cultural significance, just minutes from Pacific Quest; some people even claim it may be the real site of the first Polynesian arrival to the island (most often thought to be Ka Lae, South Point). This area is the perfect backdrop in which to explore cultural and environmental issues, while …

On Friday the kuleana group talked about the basics of gardening here at PQ. We went over soils, the nursery, transplanting and companion plants and then did a full garden tour. The students were receptive, especially when it came to learning about bananas and sweet potatoes.  Students then harvested sweet potatoes from one of the …

In her book Letters to a Young Therapist, Mary Pipher shares volumes of insight into the process of therapy.  Toward the end of the book Pipher points to the importance of helping clients develop a “new story.”  She says “We therapists are primarily storytellers.  Most clients need stories that allow them to view the world …