In 2016, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will celebrate a century of caring for, and connecting people to, the remarkable landscape, native plants and animals and Hawaiian culture linked with Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes.
In 2016, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will celebrate a century of caring for, and connecting people to, the remarkable landscape, native plants and animals and Hawaiian culture linked with Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes.
The park’s new centennial logo depicts the three elements that define Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: culture, geology, and biology.
In the center, Halemaumau Crater erupts on Kilauea under a starry night sky. Massive, active Mauna Loa towers above the erupting crater. A nene is seen in flight and is a reminder of the success of the park’s nene recovery efforts. On the right “hip,” a petroglyph represents the human story behind the lava rock carvings found in the park at Puu Loa Petroglyphs. On the left, the lehua blossom, a sacred flower of Pelehonuamea, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, symbolizes the native ohia tree found throughout the park.
Centennial events are planned in the park from Jan. 1 through the end of 2016, including a monthly ranger-guided Centennial Hike Series, with a complementary After Dark in the Park program. The park’s annual Cultural Festival &BioBlitz, scheduled for Aug. 27 (a fee-free day), will showcase how Hawaiian cultural practices weave science and stewardship together.
The park’s new centennial web page features a new multimedia video, “100 Years in 100 Seconds,” which highlights 100 years of volcanic eruptions in 100 seconds. In a second video, “Share Your Story,” Park Ranger Andrea Kaawaloa-Okita shares her story as a fourth-generation employee of Hawaii Volcanoes and the importance of connecting the next generation to their national park. The web page will be updated with a centennial calendar of events.
Founded on Aug. 1, 1916, Hawaii Volcanoes was the 15th national park established in the U.S., and celebrates its centennial anniversary along with the National Park Service itself, which turns 100 on Aug. 25, 2016.