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| Visitors enjoy the steamy views from Wahinekapu and Crater Rim Trail in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, which reports more than 1.6 million visitors last year. NPS Photo by Janice Wei |
MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE VISITED HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK last year. The 1,620,294 count was an increase of nearly 2.5 percent over 2022 and a 27.5 percent increase from 2008, the beginning of a 10-year eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea summit.
"Eruptions often influence visitation at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and eruptions have also drastically changed the park," said Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. "Visitors should be aware that![]()
construction is now underway following the 2018 eruption and summit collapse, which compounds traffic and reduces parking at the summit of Kīlauea."
The nearly two-year disaster recovery project includes the removal of the former Jaggar Museum and USGS-operated facilities, the Okamura Building and the Annex, at Uēkahuna. A new USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field station is being built near the historic ballfield at Kilauea Military Camp.
The project also includes the construction of an administrative lane at the park entrance and a roundabout west of the entrance, with work and temporary traffic control scheduled to begin in mid-March 2024. The new configuration will improve safety and congestion at the entrance, and help visitors explore the park more easily.
Visitors are urged to plan ahead, expect delays and the potential for temporary area closures,
especially if an eruption happens and visitation spikes while the project is underway. A new park webpage summarizes the construction impacts.
The National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 13 million or 4 percent over 2022.
"Eruptions often influence visitation at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and eruptions have also drastically changed the park," said Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. "Visitors should be aware that
The nearly two-year disaster recovery project includes the removal of the former Jaggar Museum and USGS-operated facilities, the Okamura Building and the Annex, at Uēkahuna. A new USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field station is being built near the historic ballfield at Kilauea Military Camp.
The project also includes the construction of an administrative lane at the park entrance and a roundabout west of the entrance, with work and temporary traffic control scheduled to begin in mid-March 2024. The new configuration will improve safety and congestion at the entrance, and help visitors explore the park more easily.
Visitors are urged to plan ahead, expect delays and the potential for temporary area closures,
especially if an eruption happens and visitation spikes while the project is underway. A new park webpage summarizes the construction impacts.
The National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 13 million or 4 percent over 2022.
Visitation figures and trends guide how the National Park Service manages parks to ensure the best experience possible for park visitors. The Visitation Statistics Dashboard provides recreational visit statistics for every park in the US for 2023 and also for previous years, dating back to 1979 for some parks. There are 429 parks in the National Park System, and 400 parks counted visitors in 2023. For the first time, there are now parks reporting their visitation numbers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four US territories. Five national parks began reporting in 2023, and this is the first year a park from Delaware is included.
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Kelson Gallano, flanked by several Pāhala Senior Nutrition Program participants, including his grandmother Fely Villegas, displays his new Pāhala Senior Center Garden sign. Photo by Julie Pasquale |
The sign replaces a years-old one made by Villegas’ nephew Greg Javar that had lost some of its lettering. Gallano installed it after County of Hawai`i’s recent tree-trimming and fencing projects at the garden.
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Residents interested in volunteering at the garden can contact Pāhala Senior Club through Julie Pasquale at 808-928-3101. Pasquale is site manager for Pāhala Senior Nutrition Program, which offers lunch and activities weekday mornings at Pāhala Community Center for persons 60 years and older.
Hawai'i led the country in producing coffee, macadamia nuts, papaya, bananas and ginger. The value of farm production went up 20 percent in Hawai'i between 2017 and 2022, reaching $673,9 million. Across the country the number of farms dropped between 2017 and 2022 from 2.04 million to 1.9 million.
Team members Guy Salmo, Jr. and Juleeann Miller scored overall 15th in the state and fifth in the finals.
Robotics coaches are Melissa Skadan, Aprille Cariaga and Heather Bernard.
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HAWAI'I HAS FEWER FARMS, according to U.S. Census data released last week. A farm is defined as a place where $1,000 or more in plant or animal production occurs. The data collected in 2022 showed 6,569 farms throughout the state, a drop from 8,328 in 2017. The average age of Hawaii producers was 60.7 years old. About a third of Hawai'i farms use renewable energy, with solar panels the most popular.
In 2022 there were 74 farms in the Hawaiian Islands from 1,000 to 1,999 acres, 69 from 500 to 999 acres, 121 from 180 to 499 acres, 348 from 50 to 179 acres, 1,679 from ten to 49 acres and 4,241 from one to nine acres.
Hawai'i led the country in producing coffee, macadamia nuts, papaya, bananas and ginger. The value of farm production went up 20 percent in Hawai'i between 2017 and 2022, reaching $673,9 million. Across the country the number of farms dropped between 2017 and 2022 from 2.04 million to 1.9 million.
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KONA COFFEE FARMERS ASSOCIATION WILL HOST A SYMPOSIUM AT OUTRIGGER HOTEL on Friday, March 1. All coffee growers are invited. The cost is $75 for guests, one free ticket for each membership.
The conferences covers farmer topics including soil health and coffee quality. Keynote presentation is by Jose Tulio Gonzalez, a renowned coffee producer with a family tradition in the field. He is President, Board of Directors of National Coffee Association of Guatemala. He is experienced in fundamental aspects of agronomic management, control of economically impactful pests, such as Coffee Leaf Rust and the subjects of coffee varieties and quality.
Other presentations include Coffee Quality with Miguel Meza, a presentation by a Soils Health Panel, and Hawai'i Department of Agriculture Deputy Chair Dexter Kishida on state of Ag in Hawai'i. Register at https://konacoffeefarmers.org/calendar/register-now-for-the-2024-symposium-on-march-1/
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| Juleeann Miller and Guy Salmo's robotics team flew to Honolulu to compete. Photo from Nāʻālehu School |
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NĀ'ĀLEHU SCHOOL'S HONUBOTS 5 ROBOTICS TEAM recently flew to Honolulu for the state finals for the VEX IQ Middle School Regional Championship presented by Northrop Grumman Foundation.
This is the robotics program's second year at the school.Team members Guy Salmo, Jr. and Juleeann Miller scored overall 15th in the state and fifth in the finals.
Robotics coaches are Melissa Skadan, Aprille Cariaga and Heather Bernard.
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KEIKI GOLF TRAINING IS OFFERED AT VOLCANO GOLF COURSE. Manager Alyss Tsukayma said the sessions are offered through First Tee, a youth development organization "that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, we create active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do."
Sessions are Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The cost is $75 for all five sessions. The first round ends March 26. To sign up see www.firstteehawaiiorg. See more on Volcano Golf Course at https://www.volcanogc.com/
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| 5,000 in the mail, 2,500 on the streets. |
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