Busy April planned for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiian culture and After Dark in the Park programs with the community and visitors throughout April, including extra events during Merrie Monarch week. All programs are free, but park entrance fees apply.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiian culture and After Dark in the Park programs with the community and visitors throughout April, including extra events during Merrie Monarch week. All programs are free, but park entrance fees apply.

Don Swanson, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, will explain how Kilauea’s eruptive cycles were recently recognized, what they mean in terms of how the volcano works, and the hazards implied by long explosive periods. This After Dark in the Park event takes place at 7 p.m. April 10 in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.

Five events will be held on the Kilauea Visitor Center lanai and are part of Hawaii Volcanoes’ Ike Hana Noeau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshops.

c From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 11, Sam and Edna Baldado share the many cultural uses of the kalo plant. Learn about the hundreds of varieties in Hawaii and how each type is identified. Kaohu Monfort also shares her knowledge of laau lapaau, and how Hawaiian medicinal plants can help heal and nourish.

c A musical performance by Rupert Tripp, Jr. will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 11. Tripp brings his love of music and decades of experience as a performer to the park. An accomplished soloist, he has also played with many of Hawaii’s top recording artists and currently plays acoustic guitar with the trio, Kohala.

c From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 11 and 12, Park Ranger Adrian Boone and National Park Service volunteer Ed Shiinoki will demonstrate and make traditional three-holed bamboo nose flutes for visitors. The ohe hano ihu is played by blowing air into a hole with one nostril and holding the other nostril closed.

c Celebrate Merrie Monarch with the Makuakane ohana from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 12 and 13, as they share the arts and music of Hawaiian culture. Mother Violet May and daughter Helene will teach the art of making a feather kahili, a symbol of royalty. Brother Kenneth, a singer, songwriter and producer, will play original songs from his albums and his other award-winning compositions.

c From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 12 and 13, master lei artist Patricia Kaula shares the art of traditional and modern lei making.

Contemporary Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning recording artist Pomai Longakit shares her songs, including her latest hit, “Another Rainbow,” on April 18. Half of the duo Pomai and Loeka, known for their song “Come Aama Crab,” Longakit performs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium as part of Hawaii Volcanoes’ ongoing Na Leo Manu “Heavenly Voices” presentations.

U.S. Geological Survey botanist and author Linda Pratt presents “Endemic Hawaiian Flowers: A Celebration of World Heritage,” the story of Hawaii’s amazing and beautiful native flowering plants. Isolated by thousands of miles of ocean and cut off from the rest of the world for thousands of years, Hawaii boasts a high number of endemic species. Pratt will speak at 7 p.m. April 24 in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.