National Park Week is April 20-28, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has several events planned. April 20 also is a fee-free day at all national parks.
The theme for this year’s National Park Week is “On a Mission.”
The mission of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is to protect, conserve and study the volcanic landscapes and associated natural and cultural resources and processes, and to facilitate safe public access to active volcanism, diverse geographic settings and wilderness for public education and enjoyment.
Everyone is invited to the following National Park Week events that celebrate the park’s mission:
U.S. Junior Ranger Day at Kahuku
The Kahuku Unit will debut its new Junior Ranger Program and wooden junior ranger badge. Keiki who complete the junior ranger handbook (illustrated by Hawaii artists) will earn the badge, a junior ranger certificate and be sworn in as a National Park Service junior ranger. This event is free and scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 20 in the Kahuku Unit.
Merrie Monarch Festival events
Part of the park’s mission is to perpetuate Hawaiian culture, and what celebrates the culture more than the annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo. During Merrie Monarch Week, the park will offer six ‘Ike Hana No‘eau (“Experience the Skillful Work) programs for everyone to experience and connect with Hawaiian practices. Events are planned for various times April 23-24 on the lanai at Kilauea Visitor Center. Visit the park’s website or call for additional information.
Kilauea Volcano’s 2018 Lower East Rift Zone Eruption
Kilauea’s long-lasting East Rift Zone eruption changed abruptly when the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater floor collapsed April 30, 2018, followed by an intrusion of magma downrift. On May 3, lava erupted in Leilani Estates. Within two weeks, 24 fissures had opened along a 4.2-mile-long segment of the lower ERZ. Fissure 8 soon became the dominant vent, erupting a fast-moving channelized lava flow that reached the ocean, burying 13.7 square miles of land and destroying more than 700 structures along the way. Join USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Carolyn Parcheta as she recounts the progression of this dramatic eruption and shares her experiences monitoring it. This event is part of the After Dark in the Park series and free to attend (park entrance fees apply). It is slated for 7 p.m. April 23 in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
For more information about these events or other happenings at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, call park information at 985-6011 or visit www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.