HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL 26 • April 17, 2016 PARK CENTENNIAL HVNP workforce as diverse as the landscape Hawaii Tribune-Herald “If you want to make a difference and Chances are, you already know why visitors are drawn to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park — it’s right in the park’s name. They want to see Kilauea work its magic. “That seems to be the main focus,” said Wolfie Thomas, an information technology specialist at the park (he also has been a ranger and is an active coqui patroller). But what draws people to work at the park? For some, like Thomas, it’s a no-brainer: He’s been at HVNP since he was in a crib (his father worked at Volcano House). “I love interacting with people,” Thomas said. “Where else can you work and have the world come to you?” Not everybody literally grows up in the park, but even those who were close by envisioned being a part of the community. “I grew up in Hilo, but my grandparents had a house in Volcano, so I was always here,” said park archaeologist Jadelyn Moniz Nakamura. Even after leaving Hawaii Island to study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Moniz Nakamura said, “It was always my goal to come back home. I always wanted to come back to work, and I was lucky enough to get the job.” “I’m truly blessed to be able to drive into a rain forest every day and say, ‘Yeah, this is where I work.’” Nainoa Keana‘aina, who is part of the park’s law-enforcement and search-and-rescue team, also returned to the Big Island via the national park. Keana‘aina grew up in Kona and went to college in Oregon, but did a college internship at the park, working in the backcountry with the Student Conservation Association and training to fight wildfires. He later worked at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Going the park law-enforcement route was “the way home,” he said. It was also a way to give back to the community. “If you want to make a difference and you want to make an impact, go through the park service,” Keana‘aina said. Out in the backcountry, helping injured or lost hikers, that impact is particularly evident. “They look up at you, and … they know that somebody special is there to help them or take care of them,” said John Moraes of park emergency support services. Moraes often responds to calls with Keana‘aina. “The park service is more of a lifestyle,” he said. “People who come to this service are not in it to get rich. They’re here because there’s something inside of them that brings them here, whether it’s a need to provide services or to make a difference in people’s lives or the environment — that’s the kind of people you’ll find here.” The call to the national parks is often a wide-ranging one: Many parks on the mainland have a transient workforce — employees work one or two years before moving to a different location. But that’s not typically the case on the Big Island. About 40 percent of the staffers have more than 10 years at the park under their belts. “Hawai‘i Volcanoes is really almost the opposite of that (transience), where the employees … tend to stay here for a very long time,” said park public affairs specialist Jessica Ferracane. “They’re also a reflection of the very diverse community we have.” The staff’s diversity also bucks a National Park Service trend, one that NPS is working to stem. According to a March report by National Public Radio, 80 percent of the park service’s employees nationwide are Caucasian. “What I have seen over time is the diversity of our staff, and it’s not just diversity by gender, but it’s the diversity of the people — where we come from,” said park Chief of Interpretation Joni Mae Makuakane-Jarrell, who remembers being one of the few women — and few Native Hawaiians — on the staff when she first started in the 1970s. And there’s more diversity to the park than demographics. Though visitors will walk away bursting with stories from rangers and interpreters, most of what keeps the park running takes place behind the scenes, from handling budgets to clearing trails. “We have all these positions really working together to really bring the story (of the park) out,” Moniz Nakamura said. Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune- herald.com. Wendell Ka‘ehu‘ae‘a for Hawai‘i County Mayor “I was born and raised on Oahu and came to the Big Island in 1969. This has been my home ever since. I have been a business owner, farmer, videographer and a working man all of my life. I am a UH-Hilo graduate with a BA Degree in Political Science and Communications, and a minor in Economics. For many years I have been active in politics and have learned that the traditional well-worn paths practiced over the years have not led us to the transformational change our island needs.” Ready to take on the tough issues and earn your Vote. Mahalo Paid for by Wendell Ka‘ehu‘ae‘a More than a bookstore… BOOKS MUSIC MAPS GIFTS Unique gifts with an island fl air! Basically Books 160 Kamehameha Ave. in Downtown Hilo 961-0144 Facebook.com/BasicallyBooksHilo www.BasicallyBooks.com HIRANO STORE Since 1918 Open MON-FRI, 5:45am-6pm SAT & SUN 7am-6pm 968-6522 In Glenwood, on Highway 11, past the 19 mile marker CHILI Food & Grocery • Local Grinds • Chili • Ohelo Berry Jam Ono Hot Breakfast & Lunch Plates • Daily Specials • Hamburgers Hotdogs • Spam Musubi • Sandwiches • Propane Service By IVY ASHE you want to make an impact, go through the park service.” Nainoa Keana‘aina
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