Photography has been a crucial part of volcano monitoring in Hawaii going back to the start of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. In 1911, Frank Perret spent a summer capturing stunning black and white photos of Kilauea’s summit lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater. Fast forward a century, and webcams are scattered across the island, snapping images of the volcanoes 24/7 in 4K resolution.

This will be my last column until sometime in November. We will be traveling in Europe and maybe North Africa for a change of scenery and to see how folks are getting along there. Meanwhile, let’s take a moment to reflect on how we are getting along here.

Last month, the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory adopted the Island of Hawai‘i Interagency Operations Plan for Volcanic Eruptions (hereafter referred to as the Interagency Volcano Plan).

Today’s column comes to you as we head for Italy. We are already missing the tropical ambiance of Hawaii Island and won’t be back until two days before the Nov. 5 election. We especially want to be home for that event.

The island of Hawaii is one of the most seismically active areas in the world, producing thousands of earthquakes every year. It also commonly produces a signal called tremor that can originate from the volcanic system.

Our young volcanic soils are often in need of organic matter and nutrients. Where animal manures are available they are probably the best source of fertilizer. Compost and mulch can also help to add and hold nutrients.

Hawaii military veterans can apply for a free tour to Washington, D.C., in recognition of their service.