Analysis of Material Convergence, Logistics, and Organizational Typology of Animal Supplies in the 2018 Puna Lava Flow

Abstract

The following paper is a case study on the Puna lava flow of May 2018 to analyze the group efforts and shifts in group tasks chronologically, specifically for the management of supplies for companion and farm animals. Data were recorded from a detailed tracking of social media forums in which people coordinated efforts for the movement of supplies. One of the researchers was also deployed for fieldwork to Hawaii during the lava flow to document road closures and key hub locations for supplies and relief. Through these methods, the authors identified donation and volunteer requests to create a timeline for the event and to understand how volunteers and groups managed donations during the event and the ways in which this timeline overlapped with shifting group priorities.