Park programs planned at Kahuku
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will host several events in August and September in the Kahuku unit of the park.
Kahuku is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday. Visitors may explore on their own, or join these upcoming programs:
Children of all ages and their families are invited to learn how to kui kalo (pound poi) with practitioner Manuel Rego of Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden during Kahuku Ohana Day. The program is offered 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 22. Interested participants should call 985-6019 by Thursday to sign up.
A guided easy-to-moderate hike called Birth of Kahuku is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30 and Sept. 12. Participants will explore the geologic history of Kahuku, traverse the 1868 lava flow, see volcano features and identify parts of the Southwest Rift Zone.
This Sunday, Aug. 22 and Sept. 26, a park program will focus on the vital role of ohia lehua in native Hawaiian forests. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this program, which is an easy, one-mile walk. The program is offered from from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Puu o Lokuana is a short, moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Puu o Lokuana. Participants will learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka‘u. This hike is offered from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 15 and Sept. 13.
People and Land of Kahuku is a moderate two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of Kahuku. Emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands. The guided hike is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 16 and Sept. 20.
Attendees will discover two Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele and Hiiaka and the natural phenomena they represent on an easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in Kahuku. The event is offered from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Aug. 23 and Sept. 6.
A guided hike of the moderately difficult 2.6-mile Palm Trail is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 29, Sept. 5 and 27. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and amazing volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures.
Children of all ages and their families are invited to learn how to make their own hu kukui, or Hawaiian top, with native kukui nuts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 19 during a Kahuku Ohana Day. Interested participants should call 985-6019 by Sept. 3 to sign up for this program and a free lunch for keiki.
An Inspiration Hike ‑ Artists in the Park is planned from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 19. Local artists show attendees how to witness nature’s handiwork and see the magic within the landscape. The program requires advance registration and is limited to 15 people. It is an interactive, moderately easy 1.5-mile hike. Register by Sept. 7 by calling 929-8075.
All programs mentioned above are free. Participants should enter the Kahuku unit on the mauka side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection and a snack are recommended.