FHVNP’s June ‘Sunday Walk in the Park’

Friends of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park’s June “Sunday Walk in the Park” is scheduled for June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This month, the non-profit group’s event will be led by Volcanologist Cheryl Gansecki, who will take participants on a four-mile hike across the Kilauea Iki Crater.

Participants should bring a bagged lunch, as the group will take a rest along the walk.

Program organizers describe the hike as beginning at the crater’s forested rim. From there, hikers will descend 400 feet as they travel through the rain forest. During the wal,k native birds that are known to frequent the area can sometimes be observed in the canopy of the forest. Once on the crater itself, hikers explore areas across the steaming floor and travel towards the throat of the vent that built the Pu’u Pua’i cinder cone and ascend the far rim. Gansecki will pay close attention and discuss forest plants, birds, insects, the 1959 lava lake, and steam vents, in addition to cinder and patter cones.

The hike is rated as moderately difficult and goes over pahoehoe lava and forested trails. Those who plan on attending should prepare for variable weather conditions.

On the second Sunday of each month, the program aims to bring members of FHVNP together to share in the park’s scenic trails.

FHVNP’s “Sunday Walk in the Park” is a free event for those who are members. Individuals who are not members are invited to join the Friends group to attend each month. Annual memberships are $30 for individuals and $45 for families, and they come with a variety of benefits, in addition to the monthly walks.

To learn more or to register, call FHVNP at 985-7373 or e-mail admin@fhvnp.org. Interested individuals can also visit the FHVNP website.

Park entrance fees apply.