On Thursday, November 17 at 9am, we’re going to meet at the lower entrance to this popular trail. There’s a lovely picnic/camping area with tables, shade, a bathroom, and (hopefully) enough parking.

Our focus this month is on insects, but if you or your kids aren’t into little crawling things, the real focus is simply on looking closely at nature. In the nature journaling community, this skill is called “zooming in.”

Please fill out this registration form so I know how many people to expect: https://forms.gle/NNYVjyHs5F6ybFSn9

What to bring:

• BUG SPRAY (we want to look at insects, not have them bite us)
• Weather appropriate clothing
• Journal/sketchbook/notepad
• Pencils/pens/colors (whatever you prefer, markers/crayons/colored pencils)
• Optional: binoculars, magnifying glass, or loupe. Reading glasses are also helpful for zooming in!
• Note: I encourage parents to bring their own supplies to journal and join in the fun!
• Please do not stress out if you do not have any of these supplies on hand or just can’t find them that morning. I will bring enough to share!

Driving directions: Go up Aiea Heights Drive and pass the heiau on left. There will be a fork in the road — your only option is to go to the right. Drive until you find a parking lot, and find a spot. We will be at a picnic table down the stairs in the big open area on the right.

We may or may not head down the trail as a group, it depends on how muddy it is, but your family is welcome to hike on. There is a stream that you can get to fairly quickly from the lower trail, or you can walk up the road to the top of the trail and do the whole 5 miles.

Bonus, I found this cool video to give you a preview of where we will be meeting.