Working in ‘Ōla‘a Forest Reserve
Whoops this is what I get for posting these journal entries way after the fact. This was actually my first experience doing field work in Hawai'i. We were working in the wet forest of ‘Ōla‘a which is just outside of Volcanoes NP. It was my first time even seeing any kind of wet forest ecosystem and wow my mind was blown! There is just so much to look at! I tripped multiple times looking around at plants instead of where I was stepping, but it was beyond worth it. There are just so many layers in the forest and I quickly became obsessed with all the epiphytes that clung to the trees! The field leads would stop us at plants we came across that we have not seen before, so I got a lot of iNat observations today! It was incredible and I adored working here! :)
