Laupāhoehoe, Hawai`i– where endemic bird calls whisper along the wind, where the moss is untouched by time and richly clings to all surfaces, where frequent downpours of rain inspire the lush green tapestry of the forest.  This is the place I have been lucky enough to work throughout the first month of my internship at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. I was raised just a few miles east of the Laupāhoehoe forest on the coast of Hāmākua where I spent as much time as I could playing outdoors.  Now, as I work in the same ahupua`a (district) as an adult, I feel a sense of gratitude for being able to give back to the land which raised me.

I am the lead of the field crew on a project that began when I was just 6 years old. It is called the Hawai`i Permanent Plot Network or HIPPNET for short. HIPPNET is a long-term project that is designed to monitor the dynamics of Hawai`i’s native-dominated forests across elevation and precipitation gradients.  On a larger scale, this data is used to establish Hawai`i as a part of a global network called The Center for Tropical Forest Science and Global Earth Observatories (CTFS-ForestGEO).  On Hawai`i Island and as a part of my role, we have 4 plots to monitor: Laupāhoehoe (la-ow-pa-hoy-hoy), Palamanui (pala-ma-noo-ee), Pu`uwa`awa`a (poo-oo-va-a-va-a), and Mamalahoa (mama-la-ho-ah).  

The methods we use to monitor our plots have been meticulously developed by CTFS-ForestGEO such that all free-standing, woody species measuring ≥1cm in diameter are tagged and mapped.  A census occurs every 5 years where the diameters of all individuals in the plot are measured. We are currently between the 7th and 8th census, so my crew and I’s role is to fix the mistakes from the 7th census before it is time to begin the 8th census.

Thus far, I have only been to the Laupāhoehoe and Palamanui sites.  Both sites are dominated by native species, but they differ in their elevation and levels of precipitation-- Palamanui is a lowland dry-forest and Laupāhoehoe is a wet, montane forest.  Palamanui consists of species that are drought-tolerant such as Alahe`e, Lama, and `A`ali`i.  Here, the blazing sun sucks all the water from the forest– making the plants short, stiff, and scratchy. The Laupāhoehoe site is the opposite. It is mossy, muddy, and the clouds rolling mist cling to every leaf in the forest. For this reason, Laupāhoehoe is my favorite of the two. The species here primarily consist of tree ferns, ‘Ohia, and Koa trees. 

On a more personal and reflective note, being in a leadership role with more responsibility has pushed me to grow my poise and confidence as a professional. It has been a humbling and surreal experience to be a part of a project that started when I was still learning to spell the word “because” and one that feels much bigger than myself. And of course, it is so much fun to hike around in the forest, ogle at rare plant species, and off-road with 4-wheel-drive on the clock.  So, I think it’s safe to say that I love my job.

Until next time,

Amy

Image Caption: Amy Patterson, Resource Assistant for the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, measures the diameter of an Ōlapa tree (Cheirodendron trigynum) at the HIPPNET site in Laupāhoehoe, Hawai`i.