After Dark in the Park


Photo of Deccan flood basalts by Lazlo Keszthelyi.

Did Fog Kill the Dinosaurs?

Tuesday, May 14, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Flood basalts are massive lava flows covering over 10,000 square kilometers. Lazlo Keszthelyi, volcanologist with UH-Manoa and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, will examine the possibility that dinosaurs became extinct due to overwhelming atmospheric pollution caused by the Deccan flood basalts in India. In his slide program, Keszthelyi will discuss lava flows in Hawai'i, Iceland, India and the northwest United States.


A pond on the Kona coast of Hawaii.Photo by Steve Mattox.

Anchialine Ponds: Today and Tomorrow

Tuesday, May 7, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Characterized by tidal fluctuations and subterranean connections to the sea, anchialine ponds are one of Hawaii's most threatened ecosystems. These rare and fragile ponds are home of unusual plats and animals. University of Hawai'i Sea Grant's aquatic resource biologist Richard Brock will present a slide program on the status and future of anchialine ponds and how recent coastal development affects this unique resource.


Photo of Pahala Ash by J.D. Griggs, U.S. Geological Survey.

New Insights into Volcanic Hazards in Hawaii

Tuesday, April 23, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Just a few hundred years ago, half of Puna was covered by the 'Ai La'au flow, an extensive eruption from Kilauea's summit. Hualalai volcano, quiet since the 1801 eruption, is far from extinct. Hawai'i's extensive ash deposits indicate that powerful explosive episodes are more common than previously thought. David Clague, former scientist-in-charge of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, will report on recent projects that further illuminate the volcanic history of the Hawaiian Islands.


Photo of a passage in the Volcano House register by Steve Mattox.

Volcano House and Its Visitors: 1846-1941

Tuesday, April 16, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Over the years, countless thousands of people from Hawai'i and around the world have traveled to Kilauea to view eruptions and pay respects to Pele, fire goddess of Hawaii. The Volcano House, Hawaii's first hotel, has been welcoming visitors to Kilauea's summit for 150 years. Historian Frances Jackson will present a slide program reviewing the fascinating history of Volcano House Hotel with narrative based on guest's comments.

Miconia: Hawaii's Greatest Plant Threat

Tuesday, April 9, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

The island's native forests, agriculture lands and urban areas are threatened by an aggressive plant menace, Miconia. Tahiti's forest have already been devastated by the introduction of this plant. An attractive garden plant, Miconia quickly escapes from cultivation and runs rampant in tropical ecosystems. Jim Jacobi, research botanist and director of the national Biological Service's Hawai'i Field Station, will present a slide program on how to recognize and eliminate this non-native invader.

'Olelo No'eau: Hawaiian Thinking as Reflected in Wise Sayings

Tuesday, March 26, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

'Olelo no'eau are wise sayings which convey Hawaiian thoughts and values. Kakikakealani Wight, author of "Learn Hawaiian at Home", will discuss how 'olelo no'eau reflect the relationships of people to each other, the earth and their gods. Wight is a Hawaiian language scholar and teacher at Kapi'olani Community College.


Photo by Bill Halliday.

The Geology of Lava Tubes

Tuesday, March 19, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Lava tubes, conduits which convey molten lava great distances from active vents, are instrumental in the building of shield volcanoes in Hawaii and worldwide. Dr. Stephan Kempe, Professor in Physical Geology at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany, has been studying Hawaiian lava tubes and their formations evolve and the need to protect these amazing caves.


Queen Lilioukalani. Photo coutesy of the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Na Ali'i: Tale of Hawaiian Royalty

Tuesday, March 12, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

As a child, storyteller Woody Fern listen to her grandmother tell tales of Hawaiian royalty. Fern, descended from Honolulu's first mayor and Hawaii aristocracy, has taught storytelling at Kapi'olani Community College. He will present tales about the complex and fascinating figures of Hawaii's monarchy. Additional funding for this program comes from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.


Roman pillars at Pozzuoli near Naples. From Lyell (1875).

Saving the Past: A Geographer's Perspective on Architectural Preservation

Tuesday, February 20, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Climate, pollution, and human use increase the deterioration of classical architecture. Modern preservation and conservation efforts can slow the decay of these irreplaceable cultural monuments. UH-Hilo geomorphologist Thomas Paradise will offer a slide program on the race to save the precious architectural heritage of Rome, Venice, and Jordan.


Photo by Steve Mattox.

Isabella Bird's Six Months in the Sandwich Islands Tuesday, February 13, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Intrepid traveler Isabella Bird began her writing career with Six Months in the Sandwich Islands, an account of her visit to Hawaii in the 1870s. Playwright and actor Lee Stetson will present an overview of this eloquent woman who combined intelligence, humor, and open-minded curiosity with the Victorian and Christian prejudices of her times. Stetson is the author of several one-person historical programs, including one on John Muir, offered at Yosemite and Grand Canyon National Parks.


Captain James Cook. Photo coutesy of the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Captain Cook Speaks Tuesday, February 6, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

In 1778 British Captain James Cook arrived in the islands and this event changed the course of Hawaiian history forever. Often overlooked are Cook's many accomplishments which included significant contributions to navigation and mapping in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Playwright and actor Steve Slater wrote and stars in a one-man play about the life and character of this remarkable figure.

Makali'i

Tuesday, January 23, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

To revitalize the culture of Hawai'i's native people, the organization Na Kalai Wa'a was formed to build and sail the Makali'i, a replica of a traditional Hawaiian sailing canoe. Last February, the Makali'i took its maiden voyage to Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. Navigator Chad Paishon and captain Clay Bertlemann will present a slide program detailing the process of building, navigating and sailing the Makali'i. Weather permitting, Chad will follow the program with a short outdoor session on Hawaiian celestial navigation under the stars. Photo of the Hawai'i loa by Monte Costa. Used with permission of Bishop Museum.

In Focus - Black Sand Storms and Submarine Implosions

Tuesday, January 16, 1996, Kilauea Visitor Center

Dick Bradley of Sharkbait Pictures will focus in on the always fascinating but often dangerous business of video-taping active lava flows under water. Dick has been recording submarine lava behavior since 1986 when flows from Kilauea's current eruption first entered the ocean. He will discuss the technical problems of working in an undersea environment and show footage highlighting the sights and sounds of fire under the sea.

Ki Ho'alu - Slack Key Guitar

Tuesday, December 12, 1995, Kilauea Visitor Center

John Keawe will pay tribute to slack key music and the musicians who have perpetuated this uniquely Hawaiian guitar style. John grew up on Hawai'i Island listening to his grandfathers play music on their porches. He pursued a career in music and with the group, John Keawe's Homestead Gang, he released two cassette tapes, Island Touch and We All Need Friends. John will play a number of own compositions as well as selections from some of Hawai'i's finest slack key musicians. Partial funding provided by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Conservation Challenge: Saving Hawai'i's Forest Birds

Tuesday, December 5, 1995, Kilauea Visitor Center

Preventing the extinction of Hawai'i's forest birds is an unprecedented challenge in the world of conservation biology. Wildlife biologists Dr. Steve Fancy of the National Biological Service will present a slide program documenting the myriad threats to the continued existence of endangered forest birds. He will also explain how translocation, captive propagation and other strategies offer hope for preservation of some of Hawai'i's rare species. Photo by Paul Banko and courtesy of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The Art of Hawaii's Endangered Species

Tuesday, November 7, 1995, Kilauea Visitor Center

Artist Rochelle Mason will present a slide program on her work with endangered species such as the 'ope'ape'a, the Hawaiian hoary bat and the kohola, the humpback whale. Mason's passion for rare animals and their preservation inspire her to create life-like pastels of endangered birds and other animals. her series of artwork entitled "Hawaii's Endangered Species" is featured at Lyman House Museum, Bishop Museum, and Volcano Art Center Gallery. Photograph of endangered I'iwi courtesy of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Halape - 1975

Tuesday, November 14, 1995, Kilauea Visitor Center

Twenty years ago on November 29th, a 7.2 earthquake struck the southeast coast of Hawaii island. The whole coast heaved suddenly outward, causing land to subside and the sea floor to rise. A series of tsunamis inundated the park's Halape campsite where Hilo Boy Scout Troop 77 and other campers were spending that Thanksgiving weekend. Scoutmaster John Cross and others will reflect on this tragic event that took the lives of two campers. USGS geophysicist and deformation specialist Michael Lisowski of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will describe the mechanism behind the earthquake and prospects for future south flank slippage. Photograph of submerged coconut trees and coastline courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

HUGO: Hawaii Undersea Geo-Observatory

Tuesday, October 17, 1995 Kilauea Visitor Center

Loihi is an active volcano growing under the sea off the southern shore of Hawaii Island. In 1996, the University of Hawaii will install a cable from Honuapo to Loihi seamount to observe earthquakes, tsunami, hot water vents, landslides, eruptions and life forms associated with Hawaii's youngest volcano. Fred Duennebier, chair of the department of geology and geophysics at the University of Hawaii Manoa, will discuss this exciting project and the experiments designed to monitor Loihi's growth. Computer image of Loihi courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey.

What Bit Me? Hawaii's Biting and Stinging Insects

Tuesday, October 24, 1995 Kilauea Visitor Center

Was that a wasp, scorpion, spider, bee, centipede, uku or what? Entomologist Gordon Nishida, Collections Manager for Natural Sciences at the Bishop Museum, will present a slide program on the variety of biting and stinging creatures encountered in Hawaii. Author of the book What Bit Me?, he will show what various animals look like, where they are likely to be found, which are of serious medical concern and what to do if bitten. Photograph of scorpion courtesy of Dr. William Wrenn, University of North Dakota.

The Wolves of Yellowstone: Class of '95

Tuesday, October 30, 1995 Kilauea Visitor Center

After more than three centuries of hate and misunderstanding, wolves were nearly eradicated from the lower 48 states of the United States. Now the National Park Service and other agencies are waging a controversial battle to reintroduce this key predator to its former habitat. Photographer Rick McIntyre will showcase his photography and discuss the outcome of the first year of wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park. Photograph courtesy of National Park Service.


Volcanoes, Glaciers, Bears, and Wolves

September 19, 1995 Kilauea Visitor Center

In 1979, the National Park system doubled in size with the addition of several spectacular new parks in Alaska. Jay Robinson, a ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has worked at many of these Alaskan parks. Jay will describe his experiences with mega-fauna in Denali, volcanoes and bears at Katmai, river trips in Gates of the Arctic, and glaciers at Kenai Fjords. Jay's picture of Mudrow Glacier on Denali is shown above.


Up Close and Personal: A Microscopic View of Hawaiian Lava

September 26, 1995 Kilauea Visitor Center

U.S. Geological Survey geologist Maggie Mangan of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will present a slide program about the use of microscopic samples to study the cooling of Kilauea Iki and Makaopuhi lava lakes. Kilauea Iki lava fountain and lava lake is shown in the above photography. Photography courtesy U.S. Geological Survey, 1959.

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