Blog

By Tess Barnes Dunn, Academic Coordinator Recently, I had an opportunity to spend a day working with my new Pacific Quest colleagues in the area of our garden set aside for our Rites of Passage ceremony, known as Huli Ka’e. A rite of passage is an important event that serves to mark the passage from …

By Bridger Jensen, Therapist Each morning, our newly-arrived Nalu and Kuleana adolescent students and staff travel from our sleeping quarters up the mountainside of the great volcano Mauna Kea. The short trip to our day camp is performed in silence to aid in self-reflection. From these historic, rolling hills through which we travel, sugar cane …

A group of students recently had the opportunity to visit Papakolea Beach, also known as Mahana Beach or Green Sand Beach.  This infamous beach is located in the district of Ka’u on the Big Island, not too far from Pacific Quest.  Papakolea is one of only four green sand beaches in the world–the others being …

By Yvette Slagle, Outreach Assistant I stand quietly and look at the garden…the jalapenos and basil, cilantro and parsley, a gourmet salad mix that boasts an array of greens, purples and reds.  There are marigolds, sunflowers, calendula– and of course, nasturtiums.   We decided this time around we should do a succession of Provider Beans, a …

By Todd Ransdell, Young Adult Program Director Polynesian people throughout the Pacific Ocean have long used the many types of Wa’a (pronounced vah-ah) to travel, explore, and fish. It is an integral part of Hawaiian history – Polynesian sailors and navigators crossed immense distances to find and colonize the islands of Hawaii without the use of …

By Yvette Slagle, Outreach Assistant On Saturday, September 7, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Pacific Quest’s Clinical Director, Hilary Moses, LCSW and Horticultural Therapy Director, Travis Slagle will present “Horticultural Therapy: A Growing Edge In Outdoor Treatment” at the annual Wilderness Therapy Symposium in Boulder, Colorado. As a world renowned therapeutic program for struggling adolescents …

By Taylor Schultz, Ka’u Program Supervisor Students recently had the opportunity to visit Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau, a National Historical Park that preserves parts of traditional Hawaiian life. The park sits in Hōnaunau Bay which is a popular snorkeling destination today. This bay once provided a sheltered canoe landing and fresh drinking water for the ali’i …

By Mike McGee, Program Supervisor Students recently had the opportunity to visit Kuhuku Ranch, a special area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Kuhuku Ranch was one of the largest ranches in Hawaii and sprawled out over almost 200,000 acres on the western slopes of Mauna Loa.  The ranch was purchased by the National Park Service …

By Matt Armstrong, Recruitment Manager As the Recruiter at Pacific Quest, I speak to potential Program Guide applicants and current staff on a daily basis. I’m often asked a variety of questions from those interested in applying or currently working in this position. As the recruiter, I can’t help but want to spend extra time …

By Julie Hofferbert, Ka’u Office Manager I take my break under the mango tree and realize there are little green mangoes above. This starts me thinking about the tangerine tree near my office that provided me with warm juicy snacks throughout the day when I first started working at Pacific Quest. I realize that those …