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.

Temperate Seasonal Forest

Dates Visited: October 15 - October 20
Location: Brown County, Indiana
Climate Graph:                                                                                         Packing List:
                     ~ Water bottle                                                          ~ Jeans
                     ~ Hiking shoes
                     ~ Sweatshirt
                     ~ Long-sleeve t-shirt
                     ~ Insect Repellent






       By the time I visited Brown County, I arrived just in time to view all the leaves changing for the fall. The weather was a little chilly, but not too bad. With jeans and a sweatshirt I managed to be alright. While walking through the forest I was able to spot multiple species of animals and an abundance of plant life. Only after walking in silence was I able to locate a deer, which stared at me intensely before running off into the forest. There was a creek running through the forest, and around there I saw a box turtle off the shore. I could hear all sorts of different birds in the woods, and felt the tickle of mosquitoes, gnats, and grasshoppers while walking.

     Plant life was very abundant in Brown County, and because I visited in October, I was able to witness an entire array of leaf colors, both on the tree branches and on the ground. There were white pine trees, sugar maple trees, sassafras trees, sycamore trees, and many other types I was unable to identify. A wide array of plants, vines and shrubs scattered the diverse forest floor. My stay in Brown County, while a bit chilly, was overall quite peaceful and pleasant.










Works Cited

"Animal Life in Greenland - an Introduction by the Tourist Board." Animal Life in Greenland - an Introduction by the Tourist Board. Greenland Guide, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.

"Banff National Park." Parks Canada. N.p., 30 May 2013. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx>.

"Camping with Critters in Brown County State Park." Critters in Brown County State Park. N.p., 2013. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <http://www.browncountystatepark.com/see/critters.html>.

Clarke, Jayne. "Pinnacles National Park Is Ready to Rock." USA Today. Gannett, 31 May 2013. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

"The Desert Biome." The Desert Biome. UCMP, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

Parks Canada. "Common Menu Bar Links." Parks Canada. N.p., 24 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/sk/grasslands/natcul/natcul3.aspx>.

Pullen, Stephanie. "The Tundra Biome." The Tundra Biome. N.p., Apr. 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.

"Serengeti - The National Park's Official Site." Serengeti - The National Park's Official Site. Serengeti Park, 2000. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

USA Today. "Wildlife in the Amazon Rain Forest." Travel Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <http://traveltips.usatoday.com/wildlife-amazon-rain-forest-104469.html>.

"Wildlife In Olympic National Park." Commentary, News and Life in America's National Parks. National Park Advocates, 2013. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/parks/olympic-national-park/wildlife-olympic-national-park>.