​As our bus pulled into the parking lot, the sheer expanse of the greenery with such magnificent greens that were only to be contrasted by an equally fitting vibrance of oranges and reds in the flowers of certain plants filled our view. We then made our way through a tour of the facilities and laboratories, which was an equally intriguing quest. In the micropropagation facility we learned that thousands of endangered or rare species of plants were being grown and preserved in tissue culture to allow for safe-keeping, potential reintroduction back into their natural habitats, and research. We were also informed of a seed-bank facility which hosted and preserved tens of thousands of seeds for relatively the same purposes. We were then introduced to the greenhouse facilities and their importance and relation to the other two facilities. Learning about the processes involved in each of the facilities, from humidity and temperature control in the greenhouses to the sterilization process of plants prior to their entry into the chamber tubes containing a nutrient medium for growth in the micropropagation facility, was a very interesting and informative experience. Having been both fascinated and informed, we made our way to be “breath-taken” as we embarked on a hike towards ‘Aihualama Falls. It is difficult to describe just how beautiful both the scenery and greenery was on our hike, but I hope it will suffice in stating it was equally as beautiful as it was valuable the opportunity to be able to compare and share perspectives about the climate variables and plants that each of us students brought from the different regions that we came from.