Aloha!
I wanted to write a post about how amazing field work can be….especially when in Hawaiʻi. Iʻve lived here my whole life, and still, I am ALWAYS amazed at how beautiful this place is. Every work day in the office, following field work, is the worst day ever. The white walls, the fluorescent light, the cold A/C with the thermostats that donʻt work. Miserable!
But field work. Oh my gosh, field work. The beauty! Donʻt believe me?

On my last round of field work, I drove to the NOAA Mauna Loa Observatory, which is at about 11,000 feet above sea level on the slope of Mauna Loa. We were scouting the drive up to the observatory, looking for viable locations to put a rain collector!

In March 2017, I participated in a geophysical survey on Mauna Kea. Here, I am taking a reading from a gravimeter. We were surveying on the Eastern slope of Mauna Kea, along Mana Road.

Five years ago (Wow! Five years?!) I had the privilege of doing some community service at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge (Fish & Wildlife Services). This picture was taken from the porch of the cabin I stayed in! It was so incredible to wake up, the clouds a few hundred yards below us allowing a clear view of the summit, with the sun lighting up the pu’u and leaving the forest in the shade… There are so many native birds up there that will sing to you until you wake up. So beautiful!

In the evenings, after we finished our work for the day, we hung out at the cabins. We had the most excellent view of the sky above!
So there. Now that you believe me, letʻs continue.
Iʻve been very fortunate in my academic career to travel around Hawaiʻi and do some fun field work. After working for the USGS (and doing all of the trainings and online workshops) and attending an internship on the mainland, I’ve come to realize that field work in Hawai’i is relatively safe…of animals. True, the terrain can be pretty tough, but at least you don’t have to constantly be aware of your surroundings for bears, snakes, etc.
Also, others have done some pretty amazing work here in Hawai’i. My co-worker, Aida, and I had the opportunity to take a picture with the Keeling Curve!

It’s great being a scientist here in Hawai’i. There are so many great opportunities to study the amazing-ness that is our island Earth, and to do it in such a wonderful place is just indescribable. So much to do, so little time!
I guess my pitch here is, if you’re an aspiring scientist and are looking for schools to attend, try looking into the University of Hawai’i! If any of you are interested, don’t hesitate to email me!
A hui hou…
Diamond