Whiteshell wonders

Well I wouldn't say my life has always been simple or streamlined in one direction, but I have been very fortunate with every step.

I followed a young man to Winnipeg 5 years ago, pursued a college diploma, took a personal leave to learn to trust myself, completed massage therapy college and, now, I followed another young man to a place where I started my own  business. Accomodations aren't luxurious, buy I have what I need.  He and I know I am leaving in the fall without looking back, which has been an interesting slightly tumultuous journey in itself.

A little orange cat named Rue is on my table, purring, looking into my eyes with her amber eyes. I'm not sure what they mean to tell me, but I Pat her once and push her off the table. "I love you too, Rue, but I'll pet you on the couch."

A girl came to my door a few days ago, with a plate full of food for me, and dark eyes with a certain sparkle full of life, asking me to join her and her family for a bonfire. "I will, but not today. I need to write."
"I'll miss you when you go," her little sister said to me about leaving for a week soon. "You'll be so busy," I said, "you won't even know I'm gone."
 I have gone on a few mini adventures with these two sweet children, showing them some little things I've learned about being wild and free on the land, and we've shared a lot.
They're from Egypt and they tell me all about their culture, language and perhaps someday I will go when they go too!

The other day I called a friend and lost signal,so I drove up the road until I got signal and stopped where it was far too steep. My little hatchback was on the verge of rolling, so I called a friend- the manager at the resort here, who maintains humility, while he has a pretty good handle on things around here.  Nearly every car - I counted 5- stopped on the highway to make sure I was alright.  I was embarrassed, but it feels good to be cared for.  Of course I was towed out, three wheels on the ground and I know not to pull over in thick grass (where it doesn't look that steep...)

It's not so bad, living by the lake where the mosquitoes are not so few, the water is cloudy, the boats are near and the fish are plenty.  I happily lend a hand when I can, give a sense of comfort for a moment, and I receive much more.  There have been many storms to witness this year, several days without hydro, but the people are not without power. I am thankful for every part if the experience, as they allow me to collect the pieces to create my own life story.

This particular trip to the Whiteshell has given me a diverse perspective on how I have developed interpersonally and how far I have to go.  My mind and body tire as I have not been nurturing myself well on a physical level for at least a year, but spiritually I feel so full if light by the children, the animals, a sense of community and doing work that feels fulfilling.  Business is good, but not too busy and for now,I have little to lose monetarily, at least.

I am happy with my situation, excited about the future - challenges included - and I am continuing to find a sense of wonder in what I pursue. 
I believe this part of the journey is about connecting my trust of self with  community integration and family living, as well as learning to be more comfortable with impermanence.
One day I am sure I will settle somewhere - but nothing is forever.  For now, I am happy with learning to create a fulfilling life for myself in every new place I come to. Adapting...

Soon I will perhaps raconte pieces of an experience of ayahuasca on a land I have come to really appreciate and grow on.  However, as this particular journey is a very personal, sacred one, I may leave out many details that would incomprehensible outside my brain.

Every day is an education.  Every moment is a teachable opportunity. Every lesson is not only for the student, but for the teacher too.
There is always a journey ahead.

Harmony

I had been searching for it for some time, and sometimes I think I lost my artistic side.  However, I suppose my creativity has not escaped me.  It just comes out differently, since I exercise it differently.
I am by no means an accomplished writer.  My writing doesn't always flow nicely, and my sentences go on and on... Sometimes though, I feel the words I write are effective.  My thoughts sometimes penetrate the minds of others when I least expect them too. I suppose I consider that an accomplishment.

I thought I would record a recent Facebook post, since this blog is my way of journalling in a form I'd like to share to inspire myself in another time, another form and for all that feel the desire to read!


I'm feeling my heart opening more as time moves on.
This openness of my heart ebbs and flows.
Like the fluids, or the ocean within my body.
I can feel that I am ready to love,
Ready to be free, ready to be me;
That person I always have been, yet always wanted to be.
We humans are constantly changing, evolving,
But never for an end state of being.
I always loved who I've been,
But because life is always changing,
I am forming, adapting to be who I need to be.
We are creatures of habit, yet creatures of slow adaptation.
One can find health and comfort in habit,
Peace by adapting to their surroundings,
And harmony embracing them together.
Cheers to a life combined with stability and freedom.
To Homing and Travelling,
Being alone and being with others.
Cheers to harmony within ourselves, and having the strength to accept the flow of the ocean within.

Fearless Freedom

Freedom is fearlessness.
Freedom is knowing when you're happy, when you're not,
Knowing when change is needed.
Having Confidence in your abilities,

Courage to implement change.

Freedom is being able to sing your own songs,
      and listening to the songs of others around you.

I can see what I once feared once upon a time.
I'm watching it float away in a breeze,
Flying, like a napkin in the wind

Over the lakes under the full moon,
Among the shooting stars and into the sun setting before me.

The loons call to me, welcoming me to this lake.
    You are meant to be here, now.
The Swans grace me with their presence.
    Slow down, all is well. Remember to be you.

When I drive in the direction of what I think I need,
I often find I fall upon what I feel I need,
Once I realize what it is that I really need.
People change their plans, change their minds,
Often, we must make the best of the moments with what we have.

In these times of improvisations,
I'm finding myself between a sunset and the full moon,
Smiling, Rejoicing this spontaneous moment.
I thought I'd rush to sleep, but the lake was calling me.
So I sang out to her, and graced the birds with my presence.

I am happy alone,
Happier among others,
Integrated with my surroundings,
Involved in community,
Able to take care.

I can do the splits in any situation,

Whether I'm among my kind or not,
I'm planting trees in a foreign land,
I'm smiling to my own darkness and light,
I'm the lady doing cartwheels in a field,
I am the young woman clowning at the festival, 

And finding my calm in a hot tub.
Still that Northern Lights Woman I have come to be,
Dancing in the dark, giving my light to guide you to yours.

I am fun.
I am peace.
I am free.

I feel beautiful.
Courage... 

I have so much to tell you...

"In that dream I'm as old as the mountains, still as starlight reflected in fountains... I will see you someday when I have woken, I'll be so happy just to have spoken. I'll have so much to tell you about it then."
-Fleet Foxes, Grown Ocean

I have been putting off this post for so long because I don't quite know how to put in words the inner awakening I feel I have experienced.  The thing is, I felt so alert, so alive and awake, but this feeling comes and goes as it is something one must work toward maintaining.

Enlightened.  Yes, I felt enlightened.  I was hesitant to use this word as I thought maybe I was putting myself on my own little high horse, but I know what I felt and it was real. 

After being in Hawaii, I spent a month with my sister who was a brand new momma to my nephew Cullen.  Oh what a wonderful feeling it is to hold new life in your harms.  Can you believe that helpless creature that can't even look you in the eye yet, you were once the same thing?  It's amazing to think someone had to do all that for you once.  Even more amazing is the thought that this little body you're holding in your arms has the potential to be so many things.  He's a clean slate, a blank canvass. Nothing can match that feeling.  When I have my own child to hold, I know it'll feel like that times ten because I'll be so relieved to get that darned thing out of my body!
My new momma sister makes me want to be a momma someday too!  I know I'll make a great mother someday- even today, for that matter, but I have so much to learn so I can share with them :) And a wild woman spirit I feel called to satisfy!

After being with my sister, I got to visit friend in Winnipeg for a couple days.  The ride there was a bit of a adventure... the greyhound was more comfortable than I might have thought, with Wifi and a few new friends to talk to along the way!
Being in Winnipeg felt like  a big rollercoaster of emotions, learning to let go of relationships how I knew them, letting go all together of the life I once had.  It was a big step in my growth, and I might have held on to some things had I not gone back on this trip.

Following this trip was another personal adventure westward! I ran out of money, so the bus wasn't a great option and rideshare, again, didn't work out like I had hoped, so I decided that it was my time to hitch hike.  My first ride happened to be a good friend of one of my closest friends!  I texted a few friends in Regina and next I knew I had 3 options of places to stay.  I was off to a good start. 
I really enjoyed hitch hiking alone.  Every part of it actually...

• waiting (I danced to my ipod, made a lot of people smile on the way.)
• talking (making conversations with total strangers made for some new subjects I hadn't yet considered and learning in a new way
• perspective (talking about things in a way I might not have seen otherwise)
• stopping in places I'd never think to go to - like a pine forest just to take pictures of ourselves doing yoga poses in a forest!
• not having to drive, but being a source of entertainment  for the driver
• experiencing how people care about one another, whether they are kin or not

My family and most people I know would consider hitch hiking to be incredibly dangerous, but with a good head on your shoulders, a knowledge of direction, being prepared for the good the bad and the not seemingly great, it's quiet possible to take the plunge.  Remember: be prepared for the worst, but  99% or more of people have good intentions and when you have good intentions and positive thoughts, the world will give you everything you need. (sometimes more.)

When I got to Calgary, a Couchsurfing host was waiting for me in their home!  (www.Couchsurfing.com is soooooo great...) A lovely couple, with so much to share about their travel in India and many other places.  They love doing active outdoor activities just like me too!
I also met a young man from the Couchsurfing website who is from Egypt.  A few days later , I met another fella from Israel and saw them at the same time.  It was so interesting to hear them speaking about the Israel-Palestinian conflict from both sides, each with so much passion but also curiosity.

Well, I spent a few days in Calgary with my new friends who all  really made me feel well cared for, to a point where I thought about living in Calgary because I liked how these friends lived so much...
Then I was off to a new adventure.  An adventure of inner awakening...

Why Travel?

February 22
Why do I travel?
For me it's not a matter of where I go, but what I experience and what I come to know. 
Its a matter of integrating in new places so I learn new ways of life that I can incorporate into my own. 
For me, it's about embracing the beautiful nature that a place has to offer- in the land and the people. 
I'm learning about myself in the process of re adapting in new conditions. 
It doesn't matter in my life if I ever make it to every continent or if I visit all the places on my list of interests. It only matters that I learned what I could from every moment in life and that It all gave me a sustainable pleasure in life that I could carry everywhere I go.
So on this trip, I'm not eating out. I'm not buying souvenirs. I'm not paying to be guided on anything.
I'm just living in this beautiful place for as long as I can and instead of shopping, I'll put my time and efforts in connecting with people, nature and community.

I came to Hawaii thinking that it would be a time I would be taking purely for myself.
I had thought that I would be reading, writing and being at peace with myself.
At some point, however, I realized that my peace is in community.  When I am giving to something, then I can be at peace with myself. I've learned that it's in my nature to be part of community and I really just want to give back to the community wherever I go. Especially when she offers me such immense beauty in her own nature!
Hoping to show Maui community and land a Thank you with my hands because the spirit doesn't know words. It only knows actions and intentions. 

Straddling a palm tree

February 24

Today I sit here, with the sunset, straddling a palm tree, coconut in hand.  As the coconut falls, I consider hopping down to get it, but the palm tree, perfectly shaped to lie on, facing the sunset, is just too comfortable.
So I stay a while.  I take it in.  Mmmm.  This is the most satisfying evening activity yet....
The sun slowly takes cover and the skies lose their vibrancy.
So I hop off this tree, I kiss it, thank it and I take a seed.  It's a young coconut, filled with sweet nourishing liquid life.
I can't help but to just take it in.
It's so simple, but so satisfying.
In this moment, I am present.

 

I go back home and my mind wanders. I need to be away from concrete.  I crave wilderness and so I plan a trip to go where I can continuously feel this present feeling.

Cheers to tears for open hearts

February 28

I spent a few nights in Hana, Hawaii with a beautiful new friend I will forever cherish!
The road to Hana is quite famous.  You couldn't possibly go to Maui and not hear about the windy narrow roads on steep cliffs of lush rainforest.  Well, I love nature, but nothing could beat what I felt from human nature here.
My friend and I were walking around looking for... nothing at all really, and we came across this beautiful Hawaiian home by the ocean.  My friend approached her,  and we chatted with her for a while.  She told us a lot about her life, losing her husband and her house.  But the community came together and paid for her house.  Her family lives near her so she's not alone and she continues to believe in the beauty of mankind.  In the middle of our conversation, she offered her phone number and asked if I would look after her place while she went away on vacation.  My jaw dropped.  I already had plans, but I was so awe-struck by the openess and trust this woman had for strangers that she could see goodness in from a short interaction.  She just... knew we were okay, and opened us into her house with an open heart.
As my friend and I walked away I started crying.  "Wow, that was so kind of her. So trusting... so..." and we proceeded to converse about childishness and childlike qualities.  Childishness is seen as negative - someone who needs to "grow up", but some childlike qualities, like innocence includes the ability to be open and silly without worry of others.  We agreed that we could feel these qualities come out in ourselves from childlike qualities like openness and trust.  I felt this of the woman that offered so much knowing so little of us, but I consistently felt this of the land.
Hawaii is not a great landmass, but it is so desirable because it gives so much promise, fertility, growth and healing.  But what people don't realize is that Hawaii is young and very fragile.  The island is far from sustaining itself and people are damaging it very rapidly by taking it's resources without much thought about a sustainable future.

I'm not sure I have the best way of giving these words today, but Hana is considered the heart of Hawaii because it is primarily populated by Hawaiians and they work hard to keep it small and community-oriented. People here work together to build houses, to get together, and yes, to relax.
I can't say I have much insight, however, as I only saw a glimpse of what there is to see in a short period of time.  In fact, I felt very much like a tourist in Hana, except when I met a man who suggested volunteering with some great people near Hana.

Well, I never volunteered with them, though I tried to find them! Instead I found another farm that suited my time constraints a bit better.

Northern Lights Woman

March 5, 2015

It rained today, and, since all activities are based on outdoor activities in sunshine, this can prove to be a challenge in Hawaii unless you have indoor activities or you go on and rough it.
My conclusion today?  That fun comes from within...
I went to Baldwin beach with a new friend, met some new folks that differ from the people I often associate with.  At first I was a bit intimidated.  Then, after talking to a few people I still felt a bit guarded, but more comfortable.  Someone said they had a ukulele, I asked them to play and next I knew I was dancing and playing harmonica while a man played the ukulele and made up his own lyrics about making the best of things.
It wasn't just me, but I think I sparked it.  And so I felt that once again, I fell into that role I discovered as a young adult as the northern lights woman.  The one who dances in the dark.  I played and experienced wonder and brightness at a cold, bitter time.

Volunteering in a foreign land.

March 9, 2015

Sometimes we find far more than we're looking for, and sometimes we find so much when were not even looking.
I know that life gives me exactly what I need most to live and grow.
Ask for a flower and sometimes you get a garden.
Thank you world! Hard work and perseverance pays off!
Volunteering in Hawaii not only gave me a sense of purpose, places to go and things to do, but allowed me to meet really great people that want to be a part of making the world a better place.  I love the people in Hawaii and how open they are, but from a whole perspective, I wonder if the cultural ways are actually sustainable.  I volunteer because I want to make an imprint everywhere I go, but in Hawaii, I really feel that people come to leave something behind, to let go of worry and indulge.  I have a problem with indulgence, because it is what we desire and it can be wasteful, unsatisfactory, unhealthy and unsustainable.
Well, we all have our moments where we allow ourselves to indulge in something- there's no denying that, but I feel it's imperative that we make an effort to live symbiotically with the environment, surroundings and community.  Our relationships with people are just as important as our relationships with the land, and our communities, everyone just prioritizes differently.
I'm in this picture with South Maui Volunteers! I'm doing the Shaka sign (which is 'hang loose') and beside me is a new friend I made who offered to take me kayaking, lend me a bike and more!  One day we put together a nice bench on the beach.  This time we cut back the naupaka (a native hawaiian plant) as it unfortunately tends to take over sandy areas. It's a very neat plant though
 

Transplanting, seed finding, seed planting...

March 18

I had planned to drive to Olinda the night before a great adventure to the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project in Olinda, which is up a steep, windy road. For some reason, I put it off all day. I could not get myself going, even though I was really looking forward to going on this trip.

There was a certain point that I realized, that for no reason I could explain, I felt that something bad was going to happen. What? No idea. When? soon... I had this really vague premonition that something challenging was coming to me. I called my mom. I didn't realize it was 3AM in Ontario but my mom seemed to know I needed her help, so she didn't even react and she answered right away. Well, mom's sometimes know best. She knew what to say to make me realize what I needed to do. Somehow, without saying much at all, Mom made me feel better. And at that point, after trying to find my way in the dark and in pouring rain, I was exhausted and in tears because I thought someone was going to die. So I decided sleep was all I needed. I parked the car on the side of a road and slept.I woke at 4AM and drove up the mountain, with time to spare before I would hop into a truck then a helicopter for my 5-day volunteer planting trip in Hawaii. I was scared, but I decided that this fear did not serve me and if I was going to die, I'd rather die knowing that I did something I felt proud of.

As an example of the plant life, the koa tree has what appears to be leaves (which are actually branches) that are comparable to the shape of eucalyptus leaves, a yellow puff-like flower and gray bark. The name Koa means warrior, as these trees are the biggest of the endemic species and they grow really quickly. Also, where you see multiple koas near each other, it is often rooted from one mother plant, so they are all connected. They're sensitive to trauma on the bark (so don't hit it with a lawn mower or weed wacker) and they generally grow in high elevations. They are also nitrogen fixing and benefit from being planted near other endemic Hawaiian plants. (By the way endemic means they're only existent in one place (being Hawaii.)

Koa Trees

Ōhiʻa trees are a personal favourite since they're so crucial to the endemic forest bird populations and they're really beautiful trees, with or without the flower. First of all, they grow in a wild, windy, mazelike fashion. Sometimes I got dizzy trying to follow the branches all the way to the end. Every tree looks so different, but the leaves are teardrop shaped and they look similar to the Ohello (will describe later.) The flowers, which actually have a different name, (Lehua) are a fascinating sight. It's a wonder why there aren't, to my knowledge, Ohia trees planted all over the world for it's beauty. The flowers I saw were all red (on other islands they're often yellow) and they look a bit like cartoon flames, with strings of red from each bud. The honeycreepers (birds) we were meaning to help recover rely on this tree for the nectar. Unfortunately, since there are so many other plant species (strawberry guava, for example) that have taken over the Hawaiian forests, as Ohia trees have decreased, so have the birds.

The ohia flower, Lehua.  There's a Hawaiian legend that tells us not to pick these as it separates lovers.

Ohia tree.  Magical!

Māmane are shrubs that generally grow in mid to high elevation. We were planting in high elevation, so all the plants mentioned grow in high elevations. The leaves are a bit fern-like, and the branches are woody. They have yellow flowers, but I didn't see any flowering as, on Maui, they tend to flower in the summer time.

Ōhelo are Hawaiian blueberries. When they're young, they look very similar to the Ohia trees, but ohelo leaves are a bit more jagged. Ohelos are interesting because there seem to be so many varieties of them within the forest. I definitely saw at least three kinds that looked like totally different plants with similarly shaped leaves. What I love about Ohelo, is that the leaves themselves look like flowers! When the new leaves come in, they are often red and they grow in shape kind of similar to a tulip.. beautiful! I didn't find any berries though! Though we did find Kolea (another tree) berries, which are very hard to find!

ʻĀkala, or hawaiian raspberry, is a gentler version of what we know as a thorny plant. The thorns are soft, but the branches, unlike the look-a-like blackberry bushes, are woody. They can grow very tall and long and they provide yummy berries, of course. However, thimbleberries (originating from Jamaica) are much more abundant in the forests and tasty but not all that sweet. There was a really great patch of thimbleberries right by the lua (toilet) at the camp and it was SO tempting to eat some. When I realized that they were likely covered in human pee, I stayed away though.

Two 'iliahi (hawaiian Sandalwood) trees were also planted on our trip. Unfortunately, because sandalwood was so sought after for some time, there isn't much of it left! And it looks very similar to the Kolea tree, with subtle differences in the leaves.

Last, but not least, we planted ʻAʻaliʻi, which is generally a dwarf shrub. They also differ a lot from plant to plant. The leaf colours vary from light green, dark green and some red. The leaves and fruits were used in lei making and the wood sinks so it was used for bait sticks in fishing. I've also read that it can be used as a topical medicine for ringworm and a tonic. (http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Dodonaea_viscosa)

Aalii on the left, Ohia (and probably some ohelo as well) on the right These plants were grown in a nursery on Maui for about 2 years. 

We finished planting a whole day early since planting in erosion scars was much faster than they had thought it would be. So we got to spend a whole day walking through the woods looking for seeds. Well, it was worth it to go for the planting, but walking around to find seeds was so much fun because it felt like exploration. And, of course, we were planting in areas that needed more vegetation, so there wasn't a whole lot. Upon exploring, everything I saw around me was so new. We couldn't walk more than 5 minutes without me asking another question about the plants around me. "Is this akala?... whoa! What is that!?!?!" The plant life in the gulches is very diverse and rich, I suppose because it is more moist and feral grazers cannot get to these places.

Now I don't think this kind of volunteer opportunity arises often. The people that work for Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project are very organized and well educated professionals. They do all their work very methodically, leaving nothing unwritten. It was a real honour to be part of the operation, as I felt our work was very goal oriented and beneficial to the environment.

I recall pausing in moments of planting trees to think: this is what I want to be a part of. I need to be doing more hands on conservation like this to do my part.

I want to conserve the land, and I feel as humans, it should be more accessible. More of us need to be doing our part to offset our carbon footprint one way or another, and there's no better way to do so than to help a forest recover from damage that we created.

Native Hawaii is not the tropical Hawaii you think of. The mountainside is actually more grasslike (though most of the grass, even in the native forests, is actually non-native...) with trees that grow up and outward, and some, with branches that grow in maze-like formations. The native plants we put in the ground were all grown from seeds harvested from the lands near where they are planted, grown in a nursery in Maui for about 2 years, then shipped by heli-ops to the place where they are hand planted. We used augers to dig holes (until they all died, and we used o'os (I don't know the English word for that, but it's essentially a big medal pole with a flat end that you have to manually turn.)

It's so cool to know all about these Hawaiian plants! It reminded me how much I love botany and made me think really hard about maybe going to school to take biology and botany and pursue further work in conservation. I really felt this when I was travelling in the Yukon, even fantasized about harvesting medicine for a living. On this planting trip, I noticed that even through harsh conditions, I felt good about what I was doing and really enjoyed it. The people that worked with MFBRP all seem to seriously sincerely enjoy their jobs and their lives and they are really patient, informative and kind.  They really take care of you as volunteers on top of that! Oh and I had a blast laughing with them over a silly card game.

By the end of the trip, I didn't particularly want to leave, so I was on my way to start the car...

The car wouldn't start. I laughed, I was relieved. This was my premonition. Oh golly, what a HUGE relief. My family wasn't going to die, I wasn't going to break a leg, the helicopter wasn't going to crash... Now getting the car home, I could figure it out.

So I stayed at MBFRP another night. In the morning, I went with my new bird friends to a forest reserve near Haleakala that is closed to the public as it is for researchers and supervised guests only. They provided binoculars too! On our beautiful slow stroll, we were near all 6 honeycreepers! We just didn't see any kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill) (but heard them!) They are quite rare as they reproduce slowly (I believe there are only about 500!)

We saw apapane (red birds, we saw them in the mountains too. They have a great variety of songs so they're interesting to listen to :)), Akohekohe, crested honeycreepers (they look so cool! They're black with what looks like yellow mohawks. Their song sounds a lot like a robot. It's really neat to hear. They are also quite rare), I'Iwiwi (they're bright red and they have longer, more curved beaks), Alauahio and Amakihi (both of these are smaller yellow birds, but they move differently. One likes to creep along trees). I read that scientists hypothesize there used to be over 56 honeycreepers in the past. (http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2224&from=rss_home#.VSyPgPnF-So) These birds are particularly sensitive to climate change because as the weather changes, the mosquitoes have more breeding grounds and more birds migrate to Hawaii, which means more competition for the honeycreepers and many, like the kiwikiu, cannot reproduce fast enough to adapt.

If you want to read more about the birds, I highly recommend checking out the MBFRP website :) http://mauiforestbirds.org/articles/1

And the next day I tested the car to see if it would start and who knew, it started!  So I drove it home and decided to stop driving it since.  Instead, I began to hitch hike anywhere I needed to go on Maui and I'm super glad I did! (You'll find out later why hitch hiking was a great experience.)

Who knew a 5-day volunteer could teach you so much about a place, plants and oneself. I really felt that this opportunity guided me toward considering a whole new career path I had never previously considered: conservation. I want to get my hands dirty, go to the places people don't get to explore and be part of offsetting our carbon footprints. I don't just want to aimlessly put trees in the ground. I want to be part of finding solutions that secure a better future for the recovery of nature.

Now, this doesn't mean I love people any less or that I don't want to massage,but somehow I want to incorporate my love of plants with my love of people. Perhaps I'll be doing conservation in northern Canada and leading educational tours, hiking expeditions, anything with a greater purpose for a sustainable future. I hope to find volunteerism or some way to give back like I did in Maui in every place I go to.

I metaphorically planted a seed when I planted these trees. I'd say I found that seed when I was in the Yukon, exploring the diverse plantlife in the trails, but on the mountains of Nakula Forest preserve I planted it somewhere. I imagine that plant might grow in Norway (that's where my mind has been.) Or Iceland, maybe Northern Canada somewhere as I've been feeling a connection to the arctic. We'll see... the world has it's ways of giving us exactly what we need if we're calling for it!

Fascinating how it appears there is a new tree within a tree! Koa!!! 

Cliff near the camp! 

Planting view.
Before we went up in the helicopter we saw whales breaching in the water. Golly were they active that morning! 

Getting back on the helicopter from camp 

My first helicopter ride 

The soil on the erosion scar 

Camp!

The cliff by the gulch right by camp!

A satisfied, rugged Stacey in Hawaii