Hawaii Nature Center

Came for a field trip on a promising sunny Tuesday morning only for it to start pouring as we were wrapping up a netting activity at the stream. As we made our way back to the picnic tables before heading to the meadow, our thoughtful guide handed out ponchos for the children which kept them from getting even more soaked.With no end of the rain subsiding, we continued on with catching crickets and other insects in the tall grass, and finished with a semi-slippery hike up above the stream. Overall, I would come here again rain or shine. Not only was it educational for the kids, but for the adults as well.

We had my daughter's birthday party there and everyone had a great time, kids and parents. Jana, our guide/teacher for the event was amazing! Would definitely recommend to friends!

Hikers park in the lot at the bottom of the street then go up and around the long way rather than walk along the paved road. The path is a lot longer to reach the trailhead and it's muddy so after you wash your shoes be prepared and bring a change of shoes for your car!There's a decent amount of parking but it does fill up, and the trail is clearly marked and easy to follow (aka, I trust myself not to get lost!!)It's a decent workout- and the loop means you have a different view of stuff throughout the hike, vs having to turn around and go back the same way. It takes me about 1.5 hours to do the ~3 mile loop. If you go with kids or people who take their time, plan on at least 2.5 hours. If you turn right at the bench and trail map sign at the beginning of the trail, that side is dryer, and is a steeper ascent, but the other 2 parts of the loop are mostly downhill. If you go left, it's lusher and muddier but mostly uphill at a less steep slope for more of the trail. There's 2 bench spots on the trail you can sit and rest at. There's a few water crossings, but it's not deep. Dog friendly!The beginning of the trail has several signs marking the types of plants, and 2 bridges that go over rivers. I know they do kids education programs and I think they do a great job in the community. The gate closes at sunset. I've never been locked in, but have gotten stuck past sunset the time I brought a friend who brought a baby so we were slowed down and had to do the last mile by my phone's flashlight. That was gnarly!!

I've been able to experience the Hawaii Nature Center as a teacher, as a family member attending a birthday party, and as a parent, and I am so impressed by what this place has to offer! My son attended weekly camp last semester when he was homeschooled and now he attends the camps over school break. He still asks when he can go back :) The counselors are so patient with the kids, and there are so many interesting places to explore (the stream, the many hikes, the chicken coop, the butterfly plants, the bug log, etc.) that he loves his time there.As a teacher I appreciate that the counselors offered to tailor their lessons to match our units. All of the counselors I've worked with at the Nature Center seem to have a lot of experience working with young children and know how to keep them engaged and encourage them to ask questions and explore their environment.

We came here for my daughter's preschool field trip. Yes, a bunch of 3 to 5 year olds running around. The Nature Center provided a great outing for the kids, we started with an introduction of the forest with story time. Went onto a 30-minutes hike up the hills, exploring different leaves, trees and insect sounds, then came back to the center to play some kid's activities like jumping like a grasshopper, petting rabbits, digging for worms and etc. TIPS - Must wear insect repellent and shoes. The Nature Center also have programs for non-school events, like birthday parties, or just a family time to explore the woods.

Watch out for the automatic SNAP fee which adds 6% to your cost!!I've been sending my children to Hawaii Nature Center for about 4 years during the summer, including hosting his birthday party there. I'm completely shocked to learn this summer (2018) you can ONLY register online and pay a hefty "FEE" to do so. This fee automatically tacks on to your cart total without any prior warning, notification, description, etc. Luckily I paid attention to my total before hitting "submit payment" as there was NO NOTIFICATION online of this new fee! I had to call in to the office to ask what this fee was for and it seemed it was new to them as well. It's a ridiculously expensive fee which will cost me an additional $50.40 for one week or 6% (!!!) of the total activity cost!! WOW I'm very disappointed to learn about this and how their processing change has made it more costly to send my children there.

We just attended a birthday party (for a large group of energetic 5 year olds) at the Hawaii Nature Center - and it was FANTASTIC.The Nature Center provided (very patient) guides who led the kids on a bug hunt in a nearby field and fishing for shrimp in the adjacent stream. After a break for birthday cake, they concluded with a fun craft activity. The kids were excited and engaged the entire time. There's a covered area with tables, as well as bathrooms. Not sure what the exact cost is, but the mom hosting the party said it was reasonable. Would definitely recommend the Nature Center as an option for a fun birthday party.Even if you're not attending a party, the Nature Center is the starting point of many trails/hikes into Makiki. We already have plans to take visiting family members here.Limited parking available (small lot).Bring LOTS of bug spray!!!

We had a bunch of 6 yr old boys here for a birthday party and they got down and dirty and had a great time. There were two parts to the 2hr guided nature hike/tour:NATURE HIKE1. Collect items to make a TERRARIUM...The boys (and a few brave girls)dug for worms, picked up rocks, sticks, leaf skeletons, seedlings, bugs, slugs, snails and piled them into a bucket.... (Since my son doesn't usually get to dig for worms, I think this was the highlight of the whole entire experience). 2. Along the way, they saw the Lo'i Kalo (taro patch), a colony of bees, and different types of flora/fauna. They also learned about decomposers, and a little bit about the life cycles of the plants/animals. The hike was short and easy, slightly uphill, and was very muddy and slippery. A few kids slipped on the way down, so you've been warned...they were covered with mud by the end of the trail... TIP: 1. WEAR INSECT REPELLANT. 2. Wear shoes that you don't mind getting all muddy. 3. WEAR BUG SPRAY.4. Wear long sleeved shirts/long pants.5. SPRAY THAT BUG SPRAY ALL OVER YOU. I had long sleeves with cuffs, long pants (with no openings) and sprayed my neck and face but the mosquitos still managed to bite my ass through my pants. (!!)When the boys got back to the pavillion, they assembled their terrariums. Miss Michelle was awesome and really got the kids into designing and building a self-sustaining ecosystem in their jar. The kids would have been completely happy with that, but then it was time for part 2:FISHING in Makiki Stream:The Hawaii Nature Center provided the nets for all the kids and Michelle took them down to the stream and explained where the best places were to find fish. Since it had just rained, the water was brown but all the kids managed to catch shrimp or fish and put them in in the buckets. They released their catch after they were finished (most of them did, anyway).TIP:1. WEAR BUG SPRAY.2. In a large group of boys, there is a very good chance that one of them will either jump in or get very wet. BRING EXTRA CLOTHES AND DRY SHOES.3. WEAR INSECT REPELLANT.4. Make sure your son does not put the shrimp in his pocket to take home. 5. Blah blah blah...BUG SPRAY.Birthday party for a bunch of boys=Awesome!

I was a chaperone for my daughter's 1st grade field trip here this week. We had so much fun! Sarah was our amazing and friendly guide for 3 educational adventures: a hike, a habitat building activity in the stream, and a bug hunt. Each part had an educational presentation that was interactive and the kids could ask/answer questions. The grounds were well kept and the terrain was relatively easy to navigate. I would come back again as a family activity, it was well worth it! The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because one of the guides, Misty, was unnecessarily rude to the school staff about the way the 3 school classes were distributed. That was a little awkward for everyone involved, and I was glad she didn't wind up being our guide for the day. Other than that, it was a perfect day of adventure!

EXCELLENT! My two boys just completed a week of summer camp with the Hawaii Nature Center and it was amazing. Great learning, beautiful environment, kind. counselors, and well organized. What a week to be in nature with learning and fun. We will be doing this again for sure and I hope to have them enrolled in the homeschool science program come fall!