Midway Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation Project

(check out the Midway Atoll Expedition, also)

Midway is renowned as the staging area for a major World War II battle, the Battle of Midway; however, Midway’s rich human history dates all the way back to the 1800s.  The first permanent residents were employees of the Commercial Pacific Cable Company which established a small colony on the atoll in 1903.  In the mid-1930s, Pan American began its trans-Pacific flight operations, with Midway as an important stop-over for the great flying boats.  Six years later, the Battle of Midway turned the tide of war in the Pacific.  Remnants of that important period are found throughout Sand and Eastern Islands.

While the primary mission at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is wildlife conservation, the preservation of its rich historical resources is a critically important secondary objective. Decades of  corrosion have taken their toll on many sites and structures, some of which are National Historic Landmarks.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to preserve, restore, maintain and interpret the buildings, historic structures and artifacts of the atoll.  The U.S. and Wildlife Service is working in partnership with Oceanic Society to help meet the goals of the project.

We are delighted to be working again with David Pinyerd who led our previous Midway Historic Preservation Project in the 1990s.  You can assist with a number of restoration tasks including preservation of gun batteries, minor carpentry, clearing of vegetation and debris, and documenting the condition of historic paintings in the Midway Theatre, and the treatment of metal with rust preventative such as one of the Cable Station buildings.

You will learn about the technical components of historical site preservation and restoration.  The educational component of the program is extensive including both the human and ecological history of Midway.  Evening lectures will offer an in-depth introduction to Midway’s human history ranging from discovery to its current status as a National Wildlife Refuge.  The Battle of Midway, Pan American World Airways, the Commercial Pacific Cable Company, Midway Naval Air Facility all feature in the fabric of Midway’s history.  This program reconstructs Midway’s past, examining the role human history has played in Midway’s ecological history, and how they continue to interface in the present day.

Accommodations are in a restored military barrack offering double occupancy rooms with shared bath.

There will be free time for island exploration and observing Midway’s omnipresent wildlife.

Midway Atoll consists of three islands and a shallow white sand lagoon, sheltered from the surrounding Pacific Ocean by a coral reef. The atoll supports over two million seabirds including the world's largest colonies of Laysan and Black-footed Albatross as well as many other seabirds and shorebirds. The endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal and Short-tailed Albatross - known as the golden gooney-also find refuge on this mid-Pacific outpost. The lagoon teems with colorful fishes that are less fearful of humans than are their counterparts in the main Hawaiian Islands, and green sea turtles and spinner dolphins are often seen in the atoll lagoon.

Although seabirds nest on Midway on a year-round basis, November through July is peak albatross season.  Protection of the island's unique resources requires that visitors stay on specially designated trails. Most beaches are restricted for monk seal pupping (the best beach is shared with humans), and visitors will follow strict guidelines set forth by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Itinerary:

Day 1:
Honolulu/Midway Atoll.

Day 2 thru 7:
Guided wildlife and historical excursions. Weather permitting, Eastern Island tour, one boat-based snorkel, unlimited beach snorkel. Optional participation in service projects.

Day 8:
Midway/Honolulu. 

Click for large, interactive map

Instructor:
David Pinyerd 

2010 Dates:
November 29-December 7

2010 Cost: $4,975 (includes $2,200 airfare from Honolulu/Midway/Honolulu)

$ 455 Single Supplement

Maximum group size: 15

Detailed Trip Informaton

Information & Reservations

Please fill out an APPLICATION to sign-up for the Midway Natural History expedition.

Send E-mail regarding Midway trips.