My Kakum Experience
When I first took the decision to explore more of my country Ghana, I had not planned to stay long in any destination. My love for forest however, got me to spend an ample time in different rain forests in Ghana including the Kakum park. This, became home for a month during which time I discovered much of the forest.
This would be home when all the tourists and business owners had left, in solitude, I would walk up to the different platforms, sit and listen to the birds. Studying the pattern of the forest and I knew at what time certain birds came because of their whistles. I loved the bird that I named “early morning meditation bird” because it was always present between 6am and 7am whistling its sweet melody which was calming, relaxing and reflective.
It was 8pm and in the silence of the night with cricket singing in the background, I heard a loud almost piercing voice that sounded like a human in distress. I would later find out when I had the opportunity to take a photo of this creature that it used its sound to drive away any possible threat while it made its way down to feed.
First look at it and and I called it a vortex, maybe it is. A quiet, serene place to enjoy nature.
I had also studied areas in the forest that were present with monkeys and usually during my morning walk, would hear them swing from tree to tree, always traveling in groups on the tree canopy.
The beauty of capturing some of these images can only be achieved when one pays attention to everything nature directs them to. When I heard to take the left trail, I wasn’t sure what was in store and not been familiar with the trail was an adventure I was willing to pursue. The large spider web was easy to miss if one wasn’t attuned, but paying attention to every sound and visual helps to protect habitats of all living things in the forest.
I can’t begin to count the number of butterflies I have seen, the different varieties and how amazing they looked. The intrigue with the butterflies for me was how they would fly and play either in groups or in twos. I think those that play in twos are either siblings, friends or lovers. Well, you just must see it to feel it and then perhaps you can appreciate how I see things.
The canopy walkway had become my everything day routine because, from here, I can catch the most amazing sunrises. It was Christmas Day in December of 2018 where I had the forest all to my self. So peaceful and quiet, I walked up to the third platform to wait for the sun and say Merry Christmas. A moment whose memory remains fresh in my mind.
These birds had travelled thousands of kilometers to this forest to enjoy the summer. I wonder where the next destination would be.
From an elevation of 40 feet above ground, I could see the top of the tree canopies, ever green with flying squirrels and different bird species. I am not always lucky, but in some cases, nature smiles at me.
On this journey of discovery, my objective has always to look at the similarities that exist in different forests. Certainly, the tree species was distinct, I could smell the trees and their fragrances more in the Kakum, the various shift in vibration and frequencies as you journey along.
One thing remains common, all forest share their stillness and harmonious nature with every living thing in it playing its part. From the fly sucking nectar in the petal, the the tree hyrax, crocodiles, elephants and the many other species in the forest.
