The Hawaii Science and Technology Museum is hosting the third annual Hawaii Explorations Expo from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 27, at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo.
Admission is free and the expo is open to the public. The family-friendly event features prominent speakers and fun activities.
Previous events have focused on coral reef rehabilitation, rapid ohia death research and citizen science, and the use of rescue robots in disaster response. This year’s event will focus on the role basic research plays in tackling the issues Hawaii faces in the 21st century.
The keynote speaker is Henk Rogers, a visionary philanthropist for climate action. Rogers founded the Blue Planet Foundation, a nonprofit organization powering the transition to 100% clean energy in Hawaii.
Kalepa Babayan, a master navigator of Hokule‘a, also will give a presentation about Polynesian wayfinding.
Waiakea intermediate school’s ukulele band is providing entertainment at the main stage.
“We are excited to have engaging speakers and entertainment,” said Christian Wong, founder of the Hawaii Science and Technology Museum. “We will also have about 30 booths for fun activities to learn about innovation in agriculture, energy production, astronomy, space exploration, health care, underwater robotics and more.”
Subaru Telescope and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan are co-sponsoring the expo.
“This year marks the 20th anniversary since the Subaru Telescope started observation, and we are so honored to be part of this big celebration of science and technology,” said Subaru Telescope Director Michitoshi Yoshida.
The event is also sponsored by donations to the museum, some of which were made in memory of Barry Taniguchi.
The Hawaii Science and Technology Museum is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 2015 by Wong, a local firefighter and father of two boys who is passionate about innovation and technology for the future of Hawaii. The museum is dedicated to STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education on Hawaii Island and has hosted various outreach programs such as science camps, math tutoring, after-school programs and robotics competitions.
For more information, check out www.hawaiisciencemuseum.org/blog.
