Students in Dr. Hank Trapido-Rosenthal’s Cellular and Organismal Biology class headed to Lyon Arboretum on Thursday, September 27, 2018. Despite rainy conditions, students learned how to recognize the difference between plants that were endemic (native to the Hawaiian Islands and only found here), indigenous (native to the Hawaiian Islands but also found elsewhere) and canoe plants (brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesian voyageurs).
In addition to learning about the history of the area and the wide variety of plants that call the arboretum home, each student picked and photographed a plant of interest which they will research and write a report about.
“I picked the ‘ohe plant,” said Megan Miguel ‘20, a biology major from Wailuku, Maui. “I chose it because it’s a type of bamboo, which is a really versatile plant. It can be used for so many different things in society.”
Hands-on learning is part of the Chaminade University experience. “Whether they’re local or from the mainland, most of my students have grown up in the city,” says Dr. Hank Trapido-Rosenthal. “My goal was to get them deep into the valley to see the geology, biology and history of our area. I wanted them to take what they learned in class and see it in context.”