T
he deep roars and grunts of howler
monkeys fill the dark, damp air. Te sun is just beginning to rise. Te monkeys stretch and stir in the tree branches high above me. Teir powerful calls signal to others they should stay away, but the calls signal me to start hiking. Wisps of fog driſt among the trees. I step
across the moist ground, and lacy ferns brush against my legs. Te trees tower over me. As I hike through the dim cloud forest, I feel small in their presence. I search for just the right tree. I need one
that will help me reach the canopy in this cloud forest. Te canopy is like a roof that forms when branches of neighboring trees grow into one another. Tis creates the dense shade that makes the forest floor dark and still. Within the canopy, there’s a lot of life.
Both plants and animals make it their home. I started exploring the cloud forest canopy more than 30 years ago. Back then, scientists knew little about what lived overhead. It was hard to reach the treetops safely without damaging the trees. Even today, we know less about these treetops than most other parts of our planet. It’s one of our last frontiers.
Getting to the Top To get to the canopy, I need to climb a tree. Some of these trees are pretty difficult to climb. So, I invented a tool to help me. It’s a combination of a slingshot and a
fishing reel. First, I attach a lead weight to a nylon fishing line. Ten, I study the tree and look for a sturdy branch. I aim the slingshot carefully and shoot the weight up and over the branch. Te weight sails over the branch and falls back to the ground, bringing the fishing line with it. Next, I tie a strong parachute cord to the
fishing line. I use the reel to pull the cord over the branch. Finally, I use the parachute cord to pull my climbing rope over the branch. To hold the climbing rope in place, I tie one end of it to the trunk. Now I’m ready to go up!
18 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
Into the Canopy I step into a pair of leg loops like rock climbers use. Ten I strap myself into a seat harness. I hold onto special metal clamps with one-way teeth. Tey bite into the rope. To inch my way up, I move the clamps
upward one at a time. I like climbing this way because I can stop and rest along the way. I can take time to study what I’m seeing. And I can collect samples of moss or bark or take measurements of what I find. Tis way of climbing also doesn’t damage
the trees, which is important to me. And it keeps me from touching the tree trunk. Some of these trees have painful spines, stinging insects, or snakes lurking on them! It also makes the climb go a lot faster. In
just 45 minutes, I’m sitting on a tree branch more than 10 stories above the ground. Now I have the rest of the day to explore the treetop canopy. If I want to move to another tree I just shoot lines to other limbs and then swing myself over.
Moist air from the ocean moves up the mountain and cools to form thick clouds.
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