Aloha to All! We are a 5th Grade Class located in Hilo, Hawaii. We live in extremely unique environment with endemic plants and animals that have evolved here on our eight main islands for thousands of years. Did you know that we have the only "Happy Face Spider" in the world? We felt an earthquake on 3 of the main islands a couple of days ago. It registered 4.5 on the R.S. It was centered on the lower east side of the Big Island called Hawaii. The volcanologists say it was due to the shifting of rocks under the surface that are strained by the weight of the island. We have 5 volcanoes. One is extinct (Kohala Mtns.), one is dormant (Mauna Kea, and three are active (Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Hualalai). Kilauea has been the most active. In fact it has continued sending lava flows into the ocean for the past 11 year. The eruption site is called Pu'u o'o Cone. It is composed of cinder and ash and is collasping into itself. Lake Kupaianaha is really a lake of molten lava that is constantly rising and falling as Pu'u o'o flows into it through underground conduits. There are many outlets from this lake that send molten lava downhill toward the ocean. Sometimes the lava flows underground and doesn't damage property and sometimes it flows along the surface and covers homes, ancient Hawaiian grounds and destroys native rainforest and or dryland forests. I hope that you all had fun and learned a lot from the Journey North Project. It was an incredible endeavor for all who reported to the net and for the coordinators. Mahalo for your very special kokua (work effort), Marcy Frenz marcyf@kalama.doe.hawaii.edu