Biome World Map

(the numbers indicate the order in which I visited each biome)

Tropical Rainforest

Dates Visited: March 15 - March 22
Location Visited: Amazon Rainforest
Climate Diagram:                                                                                          Packing List:
                         ~ T-shirts                                                                ~ Rain boots
                         ~ Rain jacket                                                            ~ Rain poncho
                         ~ Athletic/waterproof shorts





       Above all of the other biomes in the world, the tropical rainforest is my favorite. The diversity of life here is incredible, and while it did rain almost everyday, it was easily worth the soaking. Some animals I was very excited to see, including a spider monkey (thankfully I didn't get too close), and a sloth. But some I was not as excited to see, including what appeared to be a small rat scurrying across the forest floor, as well as a frighteningly large snake (I got out of there as soon as possible). Thankfully I never ran into a jaguar, and while that would have been very exciting it also would have been incredibly dangerous.  I could hear the songs of what seemed like hundreds of different species of birds overhead, and down below I saw so many different types of plants that it felt like I never saw the same type of plant twice.
       Upon approaching the Amazon River, I took a boat ride out into the waters. I was able to see many different species of fish swimming around me, some were tiny and some were so large that I still can hardly believe it. Around the water I saw many different types of colorful frogs and other reptiles, including different turtles and watersnakes. Even walking through the rainforest I was still astounded by the large amount of vines and trees that surrounded me. The biodiversity in the rainforest was incredible, and being able to see it all in person was definitely worth the rain.

Temperate Grassland

Date Visited: April 10 - April 15
Place Visited: Grassland National Park of Canada
Climate Graph:                                                                                        Packing List
                      ~ Water bottle                                                         ~ Sunscreen
                      ~ Visor                                                                   ~ Shorts/t-shirts
                      ~ Camera








       The Grassland National Park of Canada turned out to be very interesting and exciting to visit. I watched as multiple herds of buffalo marched across the grassy plains, a swift fox scurried along the prairie, and even got the joys of seeing a snake called a yellow-bellied racer glide across the ground. The tall grasses surrounded me, and it was very peaceful to watch as each strand blew in the wind. I never saw any trees, but what I did see was many warning signs alerting visitors to be mindful of any flames as to prevent a potentially large fire from damaging the area. It did not rain a single time while I visited the Grassland National Park, and there were no forecasts predicting any precipitation.

       All the plants I spotted were very tall grasses, some almost as tall as myself. Although I was closely on the lookout, I only spotted five prairie dogs in my stay. I was hoping for more, but because prairie dogs live in holes burrowed into the ground, it did not surprise me much that I only spotted a few. Because the park is very dry and notorious for getting hot, I visited the at a good time because the temperature did not get too extreme. I personally loved seeing all sorts of cute animals in the grassland, and therefore enjoyed my stay to the temperate grassland biome immensely.

The Tundra

Date of Visit:  May 20 - May 30
City Visited: Narsarsuaq, Greenland
Climate Graph:                                                                                Packing List:

             ~ Thick/sturdy hiking boots
             ~ Winter Coat
             ~ Hat
             ~ Gloves
             ~ Scarf
             ~ Thick pants (corduroys, snow pants)
                             





        Upon arriving in Narsarsuaq, I could see very few people, animals, or vegetation. Surprisingly enough, there wasn't a lot of snow on the ground either. That is because this area receives very little precipitation throughout the year. Because the city of Narsarsuaq did not have much to offer, I chose to go on multiple guided nature hikes around the area. The only plants I noted were small and not woody. The ground I walked on was very solid, meaning that it must be frozen, therefore large plants' roots must be unable to penetrate the soil (side note: my tour guide later informed me that this layer of solid ground is called "permafrost"). Sadly, on my excursion I did not see a polar bear, but instead I did happen to see a lone reindeer. Knowing that reindeer travel in packs, but unfortunately the reindeer's pack must have been just out of my sight.

        I took a boat tour out into the ocean and managed to see multiple seals gathering around the shore! It was very exciting to watch them sit and eat fish up close. I also went on a whale watching tour and managed to spot two whales out in the ocean. Personally, I love whales, so that was very fascinating to see. Overall my trip was filled with interesting wildlife, but unfortunately not many plants. Due to the frighteningly cold temperatures, I can safely say I have no interest in someday moving to Narsarsuaq, Greenland, however my trip was enjoyable.

Boreal Forest

Dates Visited: June 20 - June 30
Location: Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada)
Climate Diagram:                                                                                     Packing List:
                     ~ Jeans
                     ~ Long-sleeve t-shirts
                     ~ Hiking boots
                     ~ Thick socks
                     ~ Sweatshirt/Jacket
                     ~ Water bottle





       My stay in Banff National Park, located in Alberta, Canada, was brief yet very exciting. I spotted all sorts of different wildlife in this national park including elk and caribou. While it would have been exciting to spot a bear, I was also glad that I did not for safety reasons. Along the many lakes and ponds located in Banff I spotted many ducks that were gathered around the water, some swimming and some ready to fly to one of the other many lakes located in the area. I also spotted some mountain pine beetles which bore into the bark of pine trees and kill them. I am not a big fan of bugs, however as long as I didn't have to touch a beetle, I was perfectly fine with observing them.

       Because I visited in the summer, the temperatures were not too cold. It was slightly chilly, to the point where I needed to wear a sweatshirt and pants, but after hiking and moving around a lot the temperature wasn't too bad. It only rained one day during my stay and I was very thankful for that because I didn't want to have to stay inside during my entire stay. And just as I suspected, I did see maple trees in Canada. But more abundant of the plant life was pine trees. The forest that made up Banff National Park was almost entirely composed of pines trees, which were quite beautiful to hike through. Overall, while slightly chilly, my visit to Banff National Park was filled with interesting wildlife and plenty of pine trees.

Savanna

Date Visited: July 10- July 20
Place Visited: Serengeti Plains
Climate Graph:                                                                                           Packing List:
                        ~ Walking shoes                                                       ~ Sunscreen
                        ~ Water bottle                                                         ~ Hat
                        ~ Light t-shirts
                        ~ Camera




       The Savanna, otherwise known as the Tropical Seasonal Forest (or the Tropical Deciduous Forest), was another very interesting biome I visited. The Serengeti Plains was filled with fascinating wildlife, but unfortunately, a lot of it was very dangerous. I took a safari tour and on the tour I saw multiple lions, a few zebras and even a hyena. I also managed to spot a rhino beetle, but not many other species of insects. The birds I saw were very diverse, and one species included the ostrich. I mainly saw tall grasses spread all over the land, but there were a fair amount of trees, especially acacia and baobab, that sprout up in the area. The time I visited, it did not rain much, but that is because I went during the dry season, not the wet season. Thankfully, the Serengeti Plains have not been entirely converted into agriculture, although a lot of the surrounding area has been. The temperature was quite hot during my stay, but seeing all the different wild animals made this trip easily well worth it.
 

Shrubland

Dates Visited: August 15 - August 22
Location: Pinnacles National Park
Climate Diagram:                                                                                       Packing List:

                   ~ Shorts
                   ~ T-shirt
                   ~ Sunscreen
                   ~ Water bottle
                   ~ Hiking shoes






       The temperatures during my visit to Pinnacles National Park were very hot, but overall it was worth the heat considering some of the sights I saw. In this specific park there were all sorts of caves and interesting rock formations. I did not see many trees here, there were some but overall it was a lot of shrubs scattering the area. This area is known for getting little precipitation, so many signs were displayed in the area to help visitors be fully aware of the potential for forest fires. I was able to spot all sorts of types of birds flying overhead, including woodpeckers and the rare California Condor. Upon my leaving of this national park, I drove past multiple vineyards, which were growing grapes mostly for wine. My trip to Pinnacles National Park, although hot and dry, was filled with many different types of interesting wildlife as well as a lot of different types of shrubs.

Temperate Rainforest

Dates Visited: September 1 - September 7
Location: Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Climate Diagram:                                                                          Packing List:

                       ~ Umbrella
                       ~ Raincoat
                       ~ Rain boots
                       ~ Jeans
                       ~ Long sleeve t-shirts







       Upon my arrival in Olympic National Park, I knew that my raincoat was going to come in handy.  Of the ten days I visited Washington, it rained five of them. Other than the precipitation, my visit to Olympic National Park was quite remarkable. I went for a nice hike in the woods, and saw what could easily have been the largest trees I have ever seen in my time on this earth. I'm talking huge. One of the coastal redwoods that I saw was easily as tall as a twenty story building. It was remarkable. Because most of the trees had needles, the ground was covered in them. And due to the waxy coating on pine needles it takes them a long time to decompose, so the forest floor had what appeared to be a blanket of needles for myself and others to walk upon.

       Along with tall trees, many different types of ferns and mosses were scattered all across the ground. Wildlife was very interesting as well. I saw different types of elk, but I was very careful not to go near them, and I also got to see a mountain goat. The goat I spotted from far away, which I was thankful for because I did not want to get into a fight with a mountain goat. Along the waters I was able to see other types of animals including many varieties of fish and even otters. Otters are just so darn cute I was glad I was able to spot some. While very moist, overall my visit to the Temperate Rainforest of Olympic National Park was very enjoyable.

Subtropical Desert

Dates Visited: September 10 - September 17
Area Visited: Sahara Desert
Climate Graph:                                                                                       Packing List:
                     ~ Tank tops                                                            ~ Water Bottle
                     ~ Athletic Shorts                                                      ~ Miniature Fan
                     ~ Sunscreen
                     ~ Hat










       The Sahara Desert was easily the hottest and driest place I visited, and it was mostly filled with sand. One of the perks of my tour was the opportunity to travel by camel. Any plants that I did see were typically quite small and did not have many leaves. I saw plenty of cacti during my stay, most of which had very menacing spikes. The ground upon which I walked was mostly coarse, rocky or sandy. Everything was so dry in the desert, so the fact that I saw any plants seemed surprising to me. I saw little wildlife, and the animals I did see did not appear to be so friendly. Along my tour in the Sahara, I spotted a scorpion and multiple types of snakes. I was advised to be very careful around the snakes, because out in the desert, immediate medical care would be almost impossible to come by. I was very conscious of my water supply, which actually made me quite nervous. Seeing that there was no water surrounding us made the fear of possible dehydration (even on my guided tour) very apparent. Although very dry and seemingly endless, I truly did enjoy visiting the Sahara Desert and all it had to offer.