Lyon Arboretum is a 200‑acre public botanical garden and research facility nestled in Mānoa Valley, managed by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Housing over 6,000 plant taxa and 7 miles of trails, it serves as an “outdoor classroom”—offering ecological, cultural, and horticultural learning opportunities rooted in native and Polynesian plant traditions.
Hands-On School Tours: Standards-aligned K–12 field trips (NGSS, HCPS III, HCSSS) include guided hikes through rainforest, watershed, and ethnobotanical areas, with drop-off at Paradise Park.
In-School Presentations: Lyon Edu staff bring live plant specimens and mini‑lessons to classrooms statewide.
Community Classes & Camps: Nature day camps and adult workshops (e.g. beekeeping, conservation art) engage diverse learners.
Digital Resource Bundles: Grade-specific online kits (K–12) support curriculum continuity with virtual adaptation labs and plant projects.
Internship & Docent Programs: Paid summer internships and docent training build teaching and leadership skills focused on Hawaiian botany and stewardship.
Native and Polynesian plants: ecology, conservation propagation, and cultural uses (e.g., Hawaiian Rare Plant Program).
Watershed science & rainforest ecosystems: exploring hydrology and habitat through field observations.
STEAM & nature integration: blending art, journaling, mapping, and data collection in outdoor classrooms.
Conservation practice: seed banking, endemic plant recovery, sustainable horticulture .
Place-based & standards-aligned learning: integrates Hawaiian culture, values, NGSS, and ʻĀina Aloha competencies
