News Release

National Park Week and April Events at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Bring the whole family April 22 and kick off NP Week with a family fun adventure!

NPS Photo/J.Wei

News Release Date: March 10, 2023

Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – April is all about National Park Week and a calendar full of special events that include a fee-free day, a family-fun adventure, Hawaiian cultural workshops and music, good news about an endangered bird and After Dark in the Park programs. Don’t miss the action! 

All events are free, but entrance fees may apply. Some programs are sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. Programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Check the park website and calendar for more information.  

A Virtual Visit to the Subaru Telescope. The Subaru Telescope is located on Mauna Kea on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, this amazing observatory has remained at the forefront of discovery and exploration bringing together astronomers from all over the world since completion in 1999. Astronomer Kumiko Usuda-Sato, Ph.D. takes us on a virtual visit through the telescope, highlights discoveries, and shares how the Subaru staff engages with the local community while embracing the Native Hawaiian host culture. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park programs and sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply. 
When: April 11 at 7 p.m.  
Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium   

Lei Hulu. Witness the fine skill of Hawaiian lei hulu (feather lei making). Renowned artist Kilohana Domingo will demonstrate his mastery of this intricate art and display his beautiful lei hulu. Part of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s ongoing ‘Ike Hana Noʻeau (Experience the Skillful Work) Hawaiian cultural programs, and co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association and the Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply. 
When: Wednesday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon
Where: ʻŌhiʻa Wing (across Crater Rim Drive from Kīlauea Visitor Center)  

Tweet, Tweet, Hooray! The Hawaiʻi ʻākepa is an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper that only occurs in five spatially distinct forests on Hawaiʻi Island. One of the largest populations is within the Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, where avian ecologist Seth Judge, of the National Park Service Pacific Island Inventory and Monitoring Network, has been conducting surveys of native and non-native forest birds since 2010. Seth describes how population densities of ʻākepa vary among different habitat types and why the species has flourished in some areas of the park. Part of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes’ ongoing Kahuku Coffee Talk programs, and sponored by Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. Free admission, and Kaʻū coffee will be available for sale.
When: Saturday, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 
Where: Kahuku Visitor Contact Station  

Komakakino Live in Concert. Come and listen to the uplifting Hawaiian falsetto vocalizations of the Keaukaha-based band, Komakakino, whose performance includes hula. E Nipo Mai, the band’s debut album, is critically acclaimed and was nominated for the 2017 Nā Hōkū Hanohano single of the year. Part of Nā Leo Manu (Heavenly Voices of Hawaiian music) concerts and presentations at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association and the Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply. 
When: Wednesday, April 19 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium   

NATIONAL PARK WEEK EVENTS

National Park Week takes place April 22 to April 30. This annual celebration enourages everyone to connect with national parks, and kicks off with a fee-free day on Saturday, April 22. This yearʻs theme, “Your Park Story,” invites an even deeper connection to reflect on special moments in national parks and the opportunity to make new memories. At Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the community and visitors are invited to a family-fun “Journey at the Summit” event and many other programs all week long: 

National Park Week “Journey at the Summit” Family Event – FREE! National Park Week begins Saturday, April 22 with a fee-free day for everyone and an adventurous family fun event, Journey at the Summit. Families are invited on an exciting role-playing quest and will receive an adventure pack with directions to activity stations located in the park. Roll the dice at each adventure station to learn what your family’s quest will entail. Stations are located within a half mile of Kīlauea Visitor Center and at Kahuku. Once the quests are complete, return to the welcome tent to claim a prize! 
When: Saturday, April 22 anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 
Where: Welcome tents will be located at Kīlauea Visitor Center and at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station

The Kaʻū Field System Farming the Rock: Walk along an old ranch road to the remnants of the field system in Kahuku. Learn how pre-western contact Hawaiians intensively farmed this area and fed the large population of Kahuku. This is an easy 1/2 mile, one-hour hike to Kipuka Kāʻopapa and back.  
When: Saturday, April 22 at 9:30 a.m.  
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station  

Pu‘u o Lokuana Cinder Cone is an easy 45-minute, 1-hour hike. Walk the 0.4 mile loop and learn about how a cinder cone is formed and the various uses of this hill over time. Enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka‘ū from its peak. Why is (and was) it considered a kumu waiwai (a source of wealth) by the many different inhabitants of Kahuku? 
When: Sunday, April 23 at 9:30 a.m.  
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station   

Movement Patterns of the Endemic ʻIo (Hawaiian Hawk). ʻIo, the only hawk endemic to Hawaiʻi, is considered a symbol of royalty in Hawaiian culture and remains protected today. Currently, ʻio are found only on the Island of Hawaiʻi. They can be found in many habitat types from urban environments to agricultural and forested landscapes. Biologist Dr. Kristina Paxton discusses exciting new research that reveals how ʻio move across their island home. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park programs and sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply. 
When: Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. 
Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium   

Hi‘iaka & Pele. Discover two fascinating Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele-honua-mea (Pele) and Hi‘iaka-i-ka-poli-o-pele, and the natural phenomena they represent. Visitors will experience the sisters through the epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this moderate two-mile, 90-minute hike 
When: Saturday, April 29 at 9:30 a.m.  
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station   

Bark Ranger Day. Don’t let sleeping dogs lie, treat your furry friend to a long walk on Bark Ranger Day! The park will close Mauna Loa Road to vehicles on Sunday, April 30 just so you can strut your mutt up and down this scenic shady road. Make sure to bag and remove your pup’s poo, keep your pet leashed and respect wildlife. Want to really get that tail wagging? Make your dog a Bark Ranger! Visit the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Assocation store at Kīlauea Visitor Center or at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station, take the pledge, get the certificate and celebrate with some Bark Ranger bling! https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/pets.htm
When: Sunday, April 30 from dawn to dusk  
Where: Mauna Loa Road past Kīpukapuaulu

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku. Discover the classification system, the realms and the vertical and horizontal land divisions that have been used in Hawaiʻi for centuries. This is a moderately easy one-mile, 90-minute hike on Kamakapaʻa Trail. 
When: Sunday, April 30 at 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.  
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station   


ONGOING PROGRAMS

Explore Kahuku. The Kahuku Unit, one of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s best-kept secrets, is open Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it’s free! Guided ranger programs and talks are offered on the weekends, check the park calendar for more info. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection and a snack are recommended for all hikes. 
When: Thursday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  
Where: Kahuku is located in Ka‘ū, about a 50-minute drive south of the park’s main entrance. Enter Kahuku on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5.

NEW TIMES! A Walk into the Past with Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar. Walk back to 1939 and talk with the founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, at the edge of Kīlauea volcano. Dressed in period costume, actor Dick Hershberger brings the renowned geologist to life. You’ll learn what motivated Dr. Jaggar to dedicate his life to the study of Hawaiian volcanoes, and how his work helps save lives today. Space is limited; pick up a free ticket at the Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai the day of the program. This program is subject to cancellation during inclement weather. Supported by Kīlauea Drama Entertainment Network.
When: Most Fridays, April 7, 21 (during National Park Week!) & 28 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Each performance is about an hour.  
Where: Meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center 

Stewardship at the Summit Rainforest Restoration. Volunteer to help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Under 18? Parental or guardian accompaniment with written consent is required. Visit the park website for details.
When: April 7 & 15. Meet at 8:45 a.m. 
Where: Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center on any of the above dates. 

Explore the Summit and Other Ranger-Led Walks. Discover Kīlauea volcano on an easy one-hour, ranger-led walk offered daily. Other ranger-led programs may be offered; check with rangers at Kīlauea Visitor Center for additional programs.  
When: Explore the Summit is offered daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.  
Where: Meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai 
 

-NPS-

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