Day 4 - Volcanoes National Park Botany and Geology

Day 4 and I am exhausted.  It is midnight and I am just now sitting down to write this.  I will go in and fill in the blanks later.  Probably not tomorrow.  It will be another long day, but we do get to go up to the observation deck at Mauna Kea for stargazing and will be there late.  A couple of pictures for those that are keeping up with my adventures.

Keauhou Bird Conservation Center - Wow. Where to begin.  I told Matt (guy in charge) a few weeks before we left how much I loved birds.  He found this place because one of his former students is trying to get in internship here.  I was not really sure about it based off the internet, but I am so glad that we came.  Our guide's name is Iwi.  His full name is Iwikow (I think that I spelled it correctly).  The W is pronounced as a V, so everyone that has called Hawaii, Hawaii is saying is wrong.  It is pronounced Havaii.  Who knew.

This research facility is 33, 000 Acres and is partnered with all sorts of state and national entities.  It is called the Vow Acua forest and is a sub-alpine biome.  The name is translated into "Place of the Spirits and gods".

Iwi talked about the history of the island adn how it was changed into ranch land and the Ke Kew grass was brought in from Africa for the cows.  They are now trying to get rid of all of this grass and return the island and forest back the best that they can.  The state bought the land back in 2003, so they still have a ways to go.

They are trying to farm Koa (I don't remember what this is, but it is a native plant that does not cause as much harm to the land.  Iwi was very deep into his ancestry and his land reminding us that we are just borrowing the land and it will be here long after we are gone.  He was so passionate about his heritage and the land.  It was very moving to see someone so young be so  passionate about his job, his ancestry, and preserving the land that belongs to future generations.

Bird populations is the facilities focus.  The Alala (not the Oh La La), is one of their main focuses.  The island was down to 20 birds and now they have about 100 birds.  They have had genetic problems with some of the hatchlings because the gene-pool is so small.  This animal is very important to Hawaii because if it is only one of 2 natural meat eaters.  The other is an owl.

They have brought in some other birds to help raise.  They bring them in as an egg, so that disease and parasites do not get introduced into their facility.

Alalā - Hawaiian Crow

Nene (pronounced Nay Nay) - this is the Hawaiian Goose.  It evolved from the Canada Goose.  It is the state bird.  They have actually adapted to live on Lava.  The webbing in between their feet has reduced and the bottom of their feet are thicker and rougher.  

Elepaio - another bird that they are trying to increase the population:

Nēnē - Hawaiian Goose

Last on the Hawaiian birds - there used to be 145 species of birds.  There are only 40 species left.  Chew on that.  Hawaii is the extinct capital of the world.  So sad.

On our way out, Iwi sang us a song from his heart, his ancestors, and his land.  Here is part of it captured on video from one of my students.  For those of you that know who Jack Gladstone is, his spirit reminded me a lot of him.

Sulfur Banks - well, lets just say that it stunk.  Ha, ha, ha.  Here are some sulfur crystals.

A couple of cool facts about the plants.  This is Metrosideros polymorpha.  It grows EVERYWHERE on the Big Island.  The red flower is very distinctive and beautiful, so it is not bad that it grows everywhere.  In the second picture, you see a small stressed out M. polumorpha.  See the large ones in the background.  That is the line where the sulfur is no longer stressing out the plant and they can grow to their full potential.

One more cool plant that was down there was this plant called _?_. I need to ask.

When you touch it, the leaves close up.  Very cool.  This is called sensitive brier and there is something with a xylem piston that causes it to pull in.

Lava Flows and Lava Tubes - lava flows and it can make tubes.  To make a tube, the top of the lava cools while the lava is still flowing underneath.  This makes a tube.  Kind of cool because you can walk through it.

Jagger Museum and the Lava Glow - The glow of the lava at night.  This is at the same Caldera that I was standing in front of yesterday, but at a different angle and at night.  Pretty and glowing.

OK - while the video is uploading, here is what a Caldera is - it is a exploded and collapsed volcano vent.  There is radial drainage and part of the Big Island is missing because of a Tsunami that collapsed part of the island into the ocean about 175 MYA.