The Big Island Visitors Bureau has published a new visitor guide that emphasizes the natural environment of the state's largest island.

The 24-page guide, titled "Science & Adventure on Hawai'i's Big Island," invites visitors to experience a "living laboratory of scientific phenomena and a showcase of dramatic environmental processes."

Visitors are told of a 4,000-square-mile Hawaiian island that contains two of the world's tallest volcanoes (Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa), one of the planet's most continuously active volcanoes (Kilauea) and 11 of the world's 13 main climate zones.

The guide also provides information on rare, endemic bird species; diverse marine life; coral reef ecosystems; and Native Hawaiian rain forests. It also notes that Hawai'i Island is a hot spot for astronomy, with the world's largest and most powerful telescopes atop Mauna Kea. Other scientific attractions featured include renewable energy, cold-water aquaculture, volcanology and ocean and environmental sciences.

The colorful guide is divided into six areas of scientific interest: Volcanoes and Volcanology, Astronomy, Geography/Biology/Natural History, Oceanography/Marine Science, Aquaculture/Agriculture and Renewable Energy Resources.

Each of the sections describes a variety of scientific "adventures" visitors can easily access, including natural sites, research facilities, museums, informational centers and tours. Each adventure listing has contact phone numbers, hours of operation and other details, along with a location keyed to a map of Hawai'i Island.

Among the more than two dozen adventures are the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, stargazing and telescopes on the summit of 13,796-foot Mauna Kea, the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center, the Ellison Onizuka Space Center, the Pacific Tsunami Museum, the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, the Hawai'i Gateway Energy Center and a variety of natural areas and self-guided and commercial scientific tours.

The guide contains a resources section listing books, publications and Web sites related to the six main science interest categories. There also are links to science educational opportunities on Hawai'i Island, including travel/study tours, educational programs and conferences.

Produced with the support of the County of Hawai'i Department of Research and Development, the guide contains numerous attractive color photos as well as a location reference map of the island of Hawai'i.

Copies of the guide may be obtained from the Big Island Visitors Bureau by calling 808-961-5797 or by e-mailing info@bigisland.org. The guide also can be viewed online at www.bigisland.org/activities-learning.