Tag: hiking
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Holiday Season in the Austrian Alps & Central Europe (2025-2026)
My family’s first-ever snow-themed winter holiday took the entire Gardner clan through Central Europe—17 days of freezing temperatures, superb skiing, gorgeous Austrian Alps, and charming historic cities. Experiencing real snow for the first time in 6 years was exhilarating! I particularly enjoyed the snow-covered Alps—easily one of the most spectacular places I’ve visited in my…
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A Week of Wildlife in Southern Victoria, Australia (2024)
2025 was a rough year for me— a roller coaster of ups and downs that rocked me to my core. After leaving the University of Queensland in late April and scrapping my former dream of becoming a zoologist in Australia, it took me awhile to get back on my feet and feel confident in myself…
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The Rugged & Remarkable Rockies of Colorado (2025)
If there were ever a region of the world designed for a person like me, Colorado might be it. This large, square, state in the Western US is a broad expanse of rugged, high mountains, vast prairies, lush forests, windswept steppe, and some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever laid eyes on. My recent…
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Exploring Australia’s Gondwana Rainforest (2025)
I will soon be attending the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia to study zoology. It’s crazy to think that in less than a month—February 2025—I’ll be starting down the path toward my dream major and career in a country I’ve never lived in before. Over the 2024–2025 winter holidays (December 25, 2024–January 9, 2025),…
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Costa Rica (2024): Monteverde
Part 2 of my June 2024 Costa Rica adventure with Seba and Celia takes place in Monteverde, a famous montane cloud rainforest situated 4,364 feet (1,330m) above sea level in the ethereal, misty highlands of the Cordillera de Tilarán. We spent two nights (Days 5-7) in Santa Elena, a town bordering the expansive cloud forest,…
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Costa Rica (2024): La Fortuna
My passion for the natural world has been with me as long as I can remember, but there was a place I visited as a kid I vividly remember it igniting fully for the first time. Costa Rica. I was on the verge of turning seven years old. My parents, wanting to bring my lively…
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Nocturnal Herping on the Mandai T15 Trail
The roughly 7km Mandai T15 Trail, beginning on the outskirts of the lush Central Catchment Nature Reserve and finishing within its heart, is a paradise for nature lovers and mountain bikers. It is notable for being one of the few rainforests in Singapore accessible after dark to the general public, and is among my favorite…
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Two Weeks in Southern Utah (2022)
Recently I have returned from Southern Utah from what was an exceptional and diverse 2-week adventure. It consisted of a four-day national park exploration with my dad, followed by a memorable week of Boy Scout camp located on the top of a high mountain at around 9,500 feet of elevation. The American West is truly…
Bennett Gardner Wildlife Watching 