Clearwater School student Christa Schweizer was lucky enough to take part in the youth science scheme, the Jason Project -- in Hawaii. Today, she tells Micaela Estrella about her experiences.

1. What did you enjoy best about visiting Hawaii? Getting to work with researchers and learning about the culture in Hawaii.

They are having problems with their vegetation and working with the animals in a nature reserve.

I was the only argonaut to speak to Bill Shepherd on the International Space Station and work with ocean discoverer Bob Ballard. Mr. Ballard off camera was very humorous and spontaneous.

2. Did you learn anything interesting? If so, what did you learn? I learned a lot of different things. I learned how to sing some of the Hawaiian chants and how to hula dance. I learned a lot about their biodiversity.

3. In order for you to go to Hawaii, what sort of things did you have to do to prepare? We had to do certain experiments so that we would know what we were talking about when on camera. We also had to read books on Hawaiian culture.

4. What kind of people did you work with? Very, very smart scientists and researchers who knew a lot about Hawaii. They have lived there for most of their lives and they were able to discuss Hawaii's living style, traditions and background information.

5. What things did you do differently from the things that you do here in Bermuda? I had to get up at 2.00 a.m. every day, eat lunch at 9.00 a.m. and the broadcast finished at noon. We hiked through the rain forest to the birthplace of hula dancing. We always had something to do every day. Although we did not know what we were going to do beforehand. We were in bed at 8.00pm every day.

I took 17 airplane flights within the whole experience. Also, in the mornings, it was very very cold and towards the afternoon it became very hot. When we were in Kauai, we had a lot of rainfall. Kauai is the second wettest spot in the world. It receives 440 inches of rain per year.

6. Was it hard to be on camera and to let the children in the schools from Bermuda and around the world see you? To me it was not hard because I was looking through a camera. The only problem I had was messing up and knowing that they were seeing me live.

7. What different things did you see that you don't see here in Bermuda? I saw whales and lots of their native species and I got to see different species of vegetation that are endangered and endemic to Hawaii.

8. When you were in Hawaii, what types of things did you have to study? We had to study the albatross, the native Polynesian bird, the wedged tailed shield water, the red footed boobie and the vegetation mentioned above.

9. What types of vegetation grow in Kauai? Among the types of vegetation that grow in Kauai are -- kauair, alula, napaka.

The illima shame shame Jamaican vervane and the akoko which means blood coloured.

10. Do you have any regrets or disappointments about the trip? My major regret was not bringing with me enough stomach medicines because I had lots of problems with the food and digesting it.

My major disappointment was not being able to see a real lava flow.

11. Did you visit any other parts of the Hawaiian Island? I visited Maui, Honolulu, the big Island Hawaii and of course Kauai.

12. Did you enjoy yourself and would you go again? I enjoyed myself very much and more than anything right now I would love to go again. I learned more than I would have in two months at school (no offence to my teachers) and I would encourage anyone between the ages of 14 and 15 to apply for the Jason Project 2001-2002.

On her travels: Chirsta Schweizer talks of her Jason Project experiences.