Sierra 6th Grade Language Arts

3rd Hour

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Did you know that Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to two of the most

active volcanoes in the world? Well it is true. It also presents knowledge on the birth of

Hawaiian islands and the most spectacular views of volcanic scenery. This park was

established in 1916 then designed as a biosphere reserve in 1980, and a world heritage

site in 1987. But, in 1961 the section of the park on Maui was made as Haleakala

National Park. With lots animals, Hawaii Volcanoes has a very unique wildlife, lots of

eruptions, and a hot climate which I will be talking about.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located on the southeastern section of the Big

Island in Hawaii around 96 miles from Kona and 30 miles from Hilo. It has the

vegetation zone of broadleaf evergreen forest, which has lots of layers of trees. Tall

trees, with an umbrella-like canopy, then medium sized trees. The climate zone is

tropical dry, but the temperature varies by the elevation. At the top of a volcano, the

temperature might be 12 to 15 degrees cooler than at sea level. At the end of the Chain

of Craters road, where the coastal plain is, where lava used to cross the road, it is

usually hot, dry, and windy.

As I said before, Hawaii Volcanoes holds two of the most active volcanoes in the

world, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea has erupted more than 50 times in the last 100

years. While Mauna Loa has only erupted 30 times in the last 150 years, but still highly

active. Everyday, the volcano, Kilauea, spits out about 2,500 tons of sulfur dioxide.

That's enough noxious gas to fill 100 Goodyear blimps! Standing 13,677 feet above sea

level, Mauna Loa soars high into the sky.

In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park there is phenomenal wildlife! It contains lots

of endangered, and rare animals and plants that could be found nowhere else in the

world. Some animals that are native to the Hawaiians are the nene, or the Hawaiian

goose, and the hawksbill turtle. There are also lots of rare birds, like the 6 Hawaiian

honeycreepers that live in the park, the endangered Hawaiian petrel, and hawk. Also,

there is a native thrush, or songbird, and monarch. This park also includes one of the

biggest dragonflies in the world, and a carnivorous caterpillar! A plant that is found only

in Hawaii is called the silversword, which is found on the volcanoes craters having

rosettes of narrow silvery-green leaves and clusters of reddish-purple flowers. Some

other plants found in Hawaii Volcanoes are the acacia koa trees, tree lobelias, and

many different types of hibiscus, which are flower like.

As you have just discovered, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is truly

magnificent! With a nice, tropical climate, amazing views of spewing volcanoes, and

plants and animals that could be found nowhere else in the world, Hawaii Volcanoes is

breath-taking. If you’re lucky, you can see the most glorious sites, you may never see

again, of erupting volcanoes. Also weird creatures you have never seen before, and

beautiful plants.