Education
Whale Trust Education
Science lies at the heart of environmental education and conservation. Without science, we are limited not only in our understanding of the natural world, but also our ability to promote awareness and to protect ecosystems and the species that inhabit them. 
Working with Local High School Students Lahainaluna High School Student, Tihani Cadiam Moore, produced this video (above) for PBS describing the ongoing partnership between Makana Aloha Foundation, Lahainaluna High School and Whale Trust to engage local students in marine science projects. The Bill Scott Memorial Fund has been launched to fund similar marine mammal research projects directly involving students from high school through graduate level.
Congratulations! UH-Maui Student, Amber Simon, Receives Award for Work with Whale Trust
Amber Simon, a University of Hawaii-Maui College, Marine Options Program (MOP) student joined Whale Trust for a few days in the field to investigate what a "day in the life of a whale researcher is like". Amber learned it was "anything but normal" when the first day out the team discovered a small leak in the gas tank and was forced to abandon the research effort to work on the boat instead. But after a few days with the team, Amber had a good feeling for the research itself, from the lulls between groups to the strict protocol involved in animal behavior research to the sheer excitement of when everything comes together!
Amber was honored with the John P. Craven award for from UH-Maui for Most Inspired and Inspirational Presentation at the University of Hawaii's Annual Marine Options Symposium. The article she wrote based on her experience was published in the June edition of Seawords, a UH-Maui publication. Congratulations, Amber!
Hawaii and Alaska schools study humback whales together
The students from Pomaika’i Elementary School in Maui and Harborview Elementary School in Juneau, Alaska spent 5 months researching humpback whales, which included speakers from the scientific community coming to their classrooms, reading, writing stories and journaling about what they learned, blogging with each other, writing and producing plays and DVD’s of their work, and creating a traveling artistic mural of their journey.
Bridging the Gap between Marine Research and Marine Education
Whale Trust is committed to raising awareness of whales and their marine environment by sharing the results of our research in a broad array of scientific and public venues including peer-reviewed scientific journals, professional conferences, television and radio documentaries, and popular publications, including books, periodicals and online education programs.
Whale Trust’s goal is to develop public education programs based directly on the results of scientific research. The programs are intended to increase awareness of whales as well as highlight some of the current threats facing these populations; to inspire students to become active stewards of the environment; to increase student interest in the marine sciences; and to provide first hand experience with researchers and techniques currently used to study marine mammals.
Whale Trust in Schools
Whale Trust is committed to inspiring the next generation to get excited about protecting the oceans by providing them with first-hand opportunities to learn about whales and the ocean environment. Amongst other projects, the Whale Trust team recently collaborated with the Jason Project, National Geographic Society and NOAA to bring their research to hundreds of classrooms nationwide.
To learn more about our outreach programs in local schools, please click here.
Popular and Scientific Publications
The research projects led by Whale Trust scientists have resulted in over thirty scientific publications and thirty popular publications. In the last year, Whale Trust scientists published their latest findings into humpback whale song in the journal, Behaviour, and were featured in a 22-page story in National Geographic Magazine.
Television, Film and Radio
The BBC, The Today Show, Discovery Channel, National Public Radio, PBS, National Geographic, and NHK television have all featured scientists and research projects of Whale Trust.
For the last several years, Whale Trust partnered with filmmaker, Daniel Opitz, to film the television documentary, The Humpback Code. Decoding Humpbacks, the US version of the film, can now be seen on the prestigious Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom series on Animal Planet, and worldwide on the National Geographic International Channel. Check your local listings.
Conferences and Community Events
The Society for Marine Mammalogy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, University of California at Berkeley, Oregon State University, the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Sitka Whale Fest, Lahaina Heritage Museum Whale exhibit, Whale Quest Kapalua and the American Cetacean Society are some of the recent venues that Whale Trust speakers have presented the results of their research in the last several years.
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