In the spring of 2025 I was fortunate enough to lead a group of young adults around the islands of Hawaii and Oahu for six weeks. I was even more fortunate to find a few hours almost every day to explore nearby places on my own--often times with my camera.
Down the road from the organic farm we were staying on was a small park with a network of hiking trails. The park was full of ferns, old growth trees, and mushrooms. All around the earthen floor I would see these beautiful frondlike Silk Oak leaves, the luster of their underbellies shining out from the darkness.
I revisited on a number of occasions, finding respite in the quiet, undemanding forest.