Press Releases

Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association News Release
For Immediate Release
March 7, 2019
Contact: Judy Edwards
Communications Specialist
808-747-6572 

Volcano, Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association is proud to announce that we, and our national park partners, have won an Honorable Mention Award in the Outstanding Public Engagement category at the Public Lands Alliance Convention and Trade Show in Denver, CO. This honor was awarded to the association’s Hawaiʻi National Park Specialty License Plate Program to benefit Haleakalā and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Parks.

These awards celebrate the best in public lands partnerships and honor individuals, organizations, publications, products, programs and services that embody leading edge achievements in the preservation of public lands and the enrichment of the visitors’ experiences. 

The first specialty license plates in Hawaiʻi became available from local DMV offices on August 1, 2017, the 101^st anniversary of the establishment of the two parks, originally known as Hawai‘i National Park.  Designed by Ian Ryan of Sae Design, the plates feature colorful, iconic scenes, such as Kīlauea Volcano erupting, and the much-loved nēnē, the Hawaiian state bird and a conservation success story.  The program was authorized by a 2015 state law to raise funds for resource protection and education projects at Haleakalā and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes national parks.

The specialty license plates program is doubly beneficial because plate purchases and annual renewal fees mean an ongoing income stream for park programs. Because HPPA understands that nonresident parks visitors still want to support the parks they love, we created merchandise items including a keychain spinner showing both national park plates, and, for Haleakalā National Park, a line that includes travel mugs, stickers, postcards, and plate replicas.

Information about the national parks specialty license plate program is here: https://www.hawaiipacificparks.org/our-work/national-park-specialty-license-plates

Merchandise to complement the national parks specialty plates program is here: https://shop.hawaiipacificparks.org/collections/license-plate-gifts

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HPPA is a nonprofit cooperating association working in partnership with the National Park Service in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa since 1933. Proceeds from our park stores support interpretation, educational programs, research projects, publications, and cultural activities.

Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association News Release


For Immediate Release
Date: December 27, 2018

Contact: Judy Edwards,
Communications Specialist

808-747-6572 
 
 
HPPA Keeps Park Visitor Center Open Daily During Government Shutdown

While Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is partially closed due to a lapse of federal funding, Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association (HPPA), the park’s nonprofit partner since 1933, has stepped in to help keep Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC) open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
 
HPPA staff are on site at KVC, providing a starting point to a safe and enjoyable visit to the park, sharing information about open and closed areas, and offering visitors the chance to shop for national park merchandise in the HPPA park store.
 
Other park partners are assisting with providing information to visitors on the KVC lanai (Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park), and Volcano House Hotel, which itself is fully open and operational, is assisting with custodial services at KVC. The Volcano Art Center Gallery and the Kilauea Military Camp, a recreation facility for active and retired military, also remain open. 
 
Note: Kīlauea Visitor Center will be closing at 2pm on New Year’s Eve, December 31st.
 
For more information from the National Park Service, click: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
 
For more information on Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association, click: https://www.hawaiipacificparks.org

Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association Media Release
Release date: May 31, 2018
Contact: Judy Edwards
Communications Specialis
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
808-747-6572 

Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association has opened a national park store in historic Hilo Town

Thanks to the generous support of NOAA and the staff at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association (HPPA) has opened a national park store in historic Hilo Town, on Hawaiʻi Island.

We are located on the second floor of Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, on the corner of Kamehameha and Waianuenue avenues, alongside rangers from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. NPS rangers and HPPA staff offer the public an opportunity to connect to the park during the current partial park closure.

There is something for everyone here: collectibles and park apparel, environmentally supportive and locally crafted items, custom Hawaiʻi wildlife plush, and even a keiki corner.

Entry is free, and every purchase in HPPA’s national park store is tax-free and supports our national parks in Hawai‘i. Come support your parks today! #ShopYourPark

Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association News Release
Release Date: April 3, 2017
Contact: Judy Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (808) 747-6572

Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association Recognized for Excellence in Supporting National Parks

Hawaiʻi National Park, HI—At the Public Lands Alliance convention awards ceremony and banquet this February, HPPA placed in two partnership categories. The awards are a testament to our team and to the power of partnership and collaboration with our national park partners. The Partnership Awards Program celebrates the best in public lands partnerships, recognizing leading-edge achievements in lands preservation and visitor enrichment.

HPPA won 1st Place for Innovative Product of the Year with "Makana the Nēnē Plush". Our realistic custom plush represents the beloved native Hawaiian goose and official State Bird of Hawaiʻi. It inspires visitors as it speaks to the vital role of conservation efforts at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Haleakalā National Parks, something that HPPA has supported for decades. Now, for the first time in HPPA’s 83-year history, anyone can directly donate to nēnē conservation through the purchase of Makana at our park stores as well as our online store. 

HPPA also won Honorable Mention for Outstanding Public Engagement with "Hawai‘i Volcanoes and Haleakalā National Park Centennial Celebrations” featuring the centennial logos created by our Product Development team in close collaboration with Haleakalā and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Parks. These commemorative logos were featured on signs and banners, and a line of limited edition centennial collectibles were created and sold in our park stores and online. HPPA participated in centennial events alongside both national parks throughout the year, and donated an additional “$100K for 100 Years” as a special mid-year cash donation shared among all six of our national park partners in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa.

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Founded in 1933, HPPA provides support through non-profit stores located in the visitor centers of six national parks in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa, and online. Our core purpose is to inspire visitors and foster meaningful connections to the parks with a spirit of aloha—for the preservation and enjoyment of the parks forever.

Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association News Release
Release Date: December 22, 2017
Contact: Judy Edwards, Communications Specialist
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (808) 747-6572

HAWAI‘I – National Park Specialty State License Plates First Round of Donation Monies Has Arrived

The first specialty license plates in Hawaiʻi became available from Hawaiʻi Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices in August 2017, and feature colorful, iconic scenes from Haleakalā National Park and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

The license plates were authorized by a 2015 state law to raise funds for resource protection and education projects at Haleakalā and Hawai‘i Volcanoes. The cost of these specialty plates is $35.00, with an $25 annual renewal fee. To date, the program has raised over $25,000 for the parks in its first quarter.

The program is administered by the DMV, and revenues generated are managed by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association, a non-profit partner that supports six national park sites in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa. Plate monies are processed, and then donated to the national parks. Donations will be used for numerous national park projects large and small.

This is a great way to show state pride and support the protection of natural and cultural resources.

Other national parks that currently benefit from specialty license plate programs include Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Crater Lake National Park, and Yosemite National Park.   

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For more information on how to purchase a specialty plate, visit www.hawaiiparkplates.com.

For more information on Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association, visit www.hawaiipacificparks.org.

Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association News Release
Release Date: May 31, 2016
Contact: Judy Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(808) 747-6572  

Hawaiʻi National Parks Non-profit Donates Additional Funds

for NPS Centennial Year  

Hawaiʻi National Park, Hawai‘i—In honor of the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service, the board of directors of Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association has approved an additional $100,000 in cash donations to the six parks in Hawai‘i and American Samoa served by HPPA. This is in addition to donations of $233,000 approved last fall, and to the over $900,000 in program services donated in the form of staffing. Proceeds from our nine park stores support interpretation, educational programs, research projects, publications, and cultural activities in our partner parks.

The additional funding, “100,000 for the 100 years,” will allow the parks to provide enhanced programs for the many 2016 centennial events and to encourage visitors to “find your park.”

HPPA funding has and will be used for numerous projects large and small in the parks, including additional Junior Ranger programs, personnel for the Youth Intern program, and increased funding for endangered species management at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park; the Hawai‘i national parks centennial juried exhibition at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, and cultural and community programs in partnership with Haleakalā National Park; community outreach events for the National Park of American Samoa; and additional cultural and community activities at three cultural sites in west Hawai‘i–Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, and Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historical Site.

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Founded in 1933, and formerly known as Hawaii Natural History Association, HPPA is a nonprofit cooperating association working in partnership with the National Park Service in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa. Our core purpose is to inspire visitors and foster meaningful connections to the parks—for the preservation and enjoyment of the parks forever—all with a spirit of aloha.