My Mosaics in Science internship has been an amazing opportunity. I believe a discovery of history is discovery of self. The projects I participated in allowed me to feel more connected to my ancestors by exploring what they left behind and the natural landscape they...
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death or ROD is a fungal disease that is killing the ʻŌhiʻa tree, a species that is endemic to Hawaiʻi. The ʻŌhiʻa tree is commonly known for its beautiful red, yellow, and orange lehua blossoms and is important not only a pioneer species...
As a part of my project I am helping to develop curriculum for an archeological site in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park called Puʻuloa Petroglyphs. Puʻuloa means “long hill” in Hawaiian and it is a place where Native Hawaiians carved over 23,000 petroglyphs into hardened lava...
The Hawaiian word kīpuka is often used to refer to an “island” of forest surrounded by newer lava flows. An example of a kīpuka here in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is Kīpukapuaulu where an island of native plants and animals has survived not only the...
The clouds begin to break as the wind moves them up the slopes of the mountain. Peeking from behind the clouds is one of the world's largest volcanoes, Mauna Loa. At the foot of that mountain is its younger volcanic sibling, Kīlauea. Its large volcanic...
It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. In the case of the endangered Island Marble butterfly (Euchloe ausonides insulanus), the butterfly is the child, its habitat is the village, and the village is metaphorically on fire. The Island Marble...
So far, working on this project has been very interesting, as I am confined to exploring Wind Cave virtually. Despite not physically being at my site, my supervisor has worked hard to make me feel included and useful to the Interpretation and Education division of...
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always heard of tales of love at first sight in movies and music, but in my own experience, I have mostly found that I come to love things more through time and familiarity—that is at least until this...
In the southwestern corner of South Dakota lies Wind Cave National Park, the first cave to be selected as a national park anywhere in the world. At 150 miles in length, Wind Cave is one of the longest and most intricate caves in the world....
Though all national parks have complicated histories, Mount Rushmore National Monument is much more controversial and political than other sites. The monument was completed in 1941 by Gutzon Borglum. A member of the Ku Klux Klan, Borglum’s prior projects included the Stone Mountain relief sculpture...