Pohoiki in Isaac Hale Beach Park
Heather Goodman—HTA

Pohoiki in Isaac Hale Beach Park

Big Island, Hawaii

Locals refer to last year’s eruptions at Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as “events”—a nod to the fact that while they were destructive, they weren’t devastating. Hawaiian tradition attributes volcanic activity to Pele, a deity often called the goddess of volcanoes and fire. When Pele destroys, she also creates—and last year she increased the size of the island by more than 1 sq. mi., including a new black-sand beach at Isaac Hale Beach Park. The park reopened in December after a nearly six-month closure. While the tides may wash away the black sand within a few years, for now the new beach is a monument to nature. —Hannah Lott-Schwartz

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