Maunaloa erupting after a nearly 40-year slumber has been an exciting moment for longtime backcountry hiker Kawika Singson. The Native Hawaiian grew up on Hawaiʻi Island’s Hāmākua Coast and graduated from Honoka’a High School in 1981. He’s a retired Army combat engineer who spent all of his enlistment in Germany before returning home. Now he spends much of his free time enjoying the Big Island’s wide open spaces.
He frequently posts videos of his adventures around the island on social media, sharing some unique and remote sights with his audience. Singson made headlines earlier this year when he rescued a dog that had been trapped in a lava crevasse in the Puna area for several days. The Conversation sat down with Singson to talk about his relationship with Maunaloa.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Dec. 13, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
