Blog

By Mike McGee, Field Supervisor Around the year 1500, an old growth Ohia Lehua tree came crashing to the ground near the present day town of Volcano, HI.  It made a thunderous crash although no one was there to witness it.  It destroyed the undergrowth around it and killed many individual organisms that depended on …

Pacific Quest is celebrating its nine year anniversary as one of the premier Outdoor Therapy programs for adolescents and young adults in the world. We are forging a new direction for mental health services by integrating naturopathic medicine, horticultural therapy, rites-of-passage, and best practices in clinical psychology and family therapy. Pacific Quest was founded in …

Recent results of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ranked Hawaii as the number one state for overall well-being. The categories that were considered in the index include emotional health, life evaluation, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and basic access to necessities. The Aloha State has ranked number one for five consecutive years!    

By Darcy Ottey, Rite of Passage Supervisor We sit in a circle long into the darkening night, not far from South Point, Hawaii, the southernmost tip of the United States.  One by one, each person shares the story of what brought them here, and with this story, the intent that they have been meditating on, …

Recently, a group of the adolescent students had the opportunity to explore the rare and fascinating, two-mile loop trail at Manuka State Park. Manuka is a Natural Area Reserve, and one of the nineteen different reserves within the statewide Natural Area Reserves System. The Big Island of Hawaii island has eight reserves to call its …

This article, written by Travis Slagle, Horticultural Therapy Director, was recently published in the AHTA News Magaizine, a quarterly publication of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. In the classic Hawaiian gardener’s book, Tropical Organic Gardening: Hawaiian Style author Richard Stevens famously wrote, “The art of gardening and the art of living come together in the …

By McLean Eames, Experiential Education Supervisor The Young Adult students recently explored new parts of the island and helped to clean up their local neighborhood.  The group traveled north 40 miles up the Hamakua Coast to Kalopa State Park.  The park is a Forest Reserve that protects 615 acres of native Hawaiian forest at 2000’ …

By Mac MacLaird, Horticultural Supervisor Reeds Bay When the Young Adult program moved to Reeds Bay, Hilo, the transition was similar to the transition plants go through when they get transplanted. For plants, the first couple days are the hardest, the first couple months at Reeds Bay were the most difficult for us. We had …

By Dr. Jessica Romeyn Last week I had the opportunity to visit Pacific Quest in lovely Hawaii. Located on the Big Island in Hilo, Pacific Quest (PQ) is not your average wilderness program. Created by Mike and Suzanne McKinney, PQ has 2 programs; one for adolescents and the other, young adults. The model for the programs …

Pacific Quest Horticultural Therapy Director Travis Slagle was recently a guest speaker on the Progressive Radio Network “iEat Green with Bhavani” radio show discussing success stories from Pacific Quest outdoor therapy program. During the interview, Travis provided examples of how working in a garden has helped the students referred to Pacific Quest to develop healthier …