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Posted: Wednesday, October 10th, 2012 8:56 AM HST

Volcanoes National Park Interpreter retires

By Ken Hupp - 67AM KPUA News

One of the Pacific West Region’s most respected and revered park rangers, Jim Gale, hung up his flat hat for the last time over the weekend. Gale served the National Park Service for 32 years, starting at Yellowstone and reaching the pinnacle of his career at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, where he spent the last 12 years and became Chief of Interpretation. Gale led the design team for the new Kīlauea Visitor Center, collaborated with kupuna (Hawaiian elders) on key cultural decisions, and led a team charged with interpreting major events like the 2008 eruption at Halema‘uma‘u crater. Gale will leave Hawai‘i for Utah, where his wife Lora works in planning for the Bureau of Land Management.