Mt. Laulau Hike 09.08.07

Phew. Hiking up to Mt. Laulau was quite an experience. Prior to our journey up the mountain, I have never heard about any other mountain on Saipan except for Mt. Tapochao. The only thing that came to mind was the beach & the golf resort.

Upon arriving at Kagman, or the bottom of the mountain rather, I had no idea about what to expect. We began our journey with our Marine Biology instructor as well as Angelo, our guide. Hiking up that first hill was pretty shocking. I had not gone walking in a while & was required to walk UP this time. We continued on, going through tangantangan and trees of many sorts. We took breaks every so often and learned about the problems Mt. Laulau has been facing. Angelo told us of how this land was used. Many people burned the trees and bushes down, thus causing a negative effect on the soil. With dry soil, rain water could not be absorbed and plants could not thrive. Whenever it rained, the water immediately trailed down the mountain and into the ocean, dragging whatever was in its path. The plants's roots could no longer hold onto the soil and allow the rain water to slowly drift down the mountain. However, Angelo and a group of other people tried to fix this issue by planting trees and plants all over Mt. Laulau. We also learned about how important it is to be careful with how we treat our environment. The golf course keeps its grass green by utilizing fertilizer. Although it is appealing to the eye, it poses a threat when it reaches the ocean. It allows the algae to grow excessively, which restricts coral formation and growth.

Our hike up Mt. Laulau was extremely tiring. I got scratches on my legs and arms and hurt my ankle too. But I gained so much from this trip. I learned about how our environment is constantly fighting against those who do not treat it well. It's good to hear that there are many people on island who volunteer their time to help with the damages other people have done.