This July I spent two weeks on the Big Island of Hawaii on a conservation education trip. It was led by wildlife biologist and researcher Brooke Friswold who previously spent five years on Oahu working with seabirds. We spent much of the time camping in the backcountry in order to experience the native Hawaiian landscape without the influence of the commercialized tourism and resorts that have impacted much of Honolulu. In addition to hiking and swimming, we got to participate in invasive species removal, cleanups, and lectures provided by rangers and environmental workers.
The trip was honestly incredible, but it also came with a lot of challenges. I found so much endurance within myself that I didn’t know I had, both physically and mentally. It’s so important to be exposed to experiences that push you outside of your comfort zone so you can grow and change from them. I found myself enjoying them so much more than I expected. I also noticed that I became much more aware of the wildlife interactions and the natural environment during the trip. Humans have had a tremendous detrimental impact to much of the ecosystem. I realized how important it is to be self aware of my own impact to try to negate or counteract the negative effects that I create in my everyday life.
Firstly, we were always active throughout the trip. I enjoy being outdoors and hiking, but some of the hikes were more difficult than anything I had done before. In Particular, we went backpacking on the Ka’aha trail in Volcanoes National Park. This trail was about four miles to the coast. The first 2.5 miles from the trailhead were down a steep cliff face. The path itself was only about a foot wide and was on crumbling, sharp lava rock. It switchbacked down the cliff, and it was incredibly difficult to maneuver this trail with all my belongings on my back as well. You had to make sure your footing was stable with each step. I don’t think it’s exaggerating to say it was a bit treacherous in some spots. The last 1.5 miles to the coast was across a flat, uneven, shadeless shelf of pillow lava. After swimming, we hiked back again towards the cliff and slept under the stars as there was nowhere to pitch a tent. Before sunrise, we ascended the cliff in a mere 80 minutes, in what is usually a three hour stretch.
We had to carry all our provisions on our back, and under the tropic sun with no shade, water was rationed. It was certainly a strenuous experience, but I’m so happy I got to do it. We had to be on survival mode for those days that we were backpacking, and I gained those life skills because of it. I had to push my body more than I ever thought possible, but the exertion made me realize how much more capable I am than I realize. Ascending the last 0.5 mile stretch of the cliff made me tap into a perseverance I didn’t know I had. Most of all, it was amazing to see the cove off the cliff that is pristine due to the inaccessibility to the location.
Besides the perseverance aspect of this transformation, this trip also helped me change in ways that will help me in my future career. Much of native Hawaiian wildlife is in a perilous state due to human influence such as habitat degradation and invasive species. I knew coming into it that invasives were an issue, but it was actually astonishing to see how much invasive flora and fauna have taken over the island. Most of the plants and animals you saw were nonnative. It really opened my eyes to the ecological crisis that this incredible place is experiencing. I got to participate in invasive species removals, in which we pulled out invasive wild ginger and other prevalent invasive plants. Even though the impact is small, it’s still nice to contribute to the health of the island that we were visiting. Another absolutely incredible experience was swimming with sea turtles. We snorkeled in five different locations, and I saw green sea turtles at three of them. The turtles would swim right up to you when snorkeling without a care in the world. They would get so close, it was magical to see these creatures in the wild and see how they were not the least bit skittish or frightened. Instead, we just existed in each other’s space.
I took this trip under the Leadership category in STEP because I am a wildlife and fisheries major and this trip was focused on both the terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Hawaii. The weeks I spent there I got to see so many amazing endangered species and learn about their life history and how they are managed. The hiking aspects were also lessons in field work as a lot of environment job require backcountry hiking to access natural areas. This will be an invaluable experience that will translate to my future field of wildlife and aquatic conservation. However, the trip brought much more than practical skills. It created an appreciation for these precipitous ecosystems and how vital it is to allocate money and effort to their continued survival. 
