Two videos here – from the ground and secondly, ecologist Mark Moffett talking about the canopy layers as we move through them.

Cranes are used to access all layers of the forest. There are  only a few ways to get into tall trees and explore a forest – one is using ropes to climb up, another is a canopy raft (the French are very skilled at this  and are sure to bring wine along) , tree bicycle, canopy boom (like a tetter totter).

The scariest part of the canopy crane is the initial ascent. The cable winch “wwhhhrrrr” noise is high pitched, there is nothing to shield the view beneath you. The canopy “box” you ride up in is open slats for a floor, mesh sides halfway up, the upper have is open to the sky. We had the responsibility of hooking up our own box. That’s right, we had to connect the large hook and 2 cables to our own box.

The crane operator scampers up a ladder to a platform and then enters the crane control area – a small seat with controls for lifting, rotating and extending us along the crane. I was to learn that our crane was small at only 50 meters tall and 50 meters long.

Once you ascend a layer or two in the canopy you see the branches and creatures hidden from our usual on the ground perspective. There are corridors that birds use as highways to fly through. The dragonflies come out in numbers, basking in the sun. The dark understory is cool. The very top of the canopy is blazing hot from the sun and filled with flowers, fruits and leaves, all competing for some of the sun’s energy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I thought I knew a little bit about forests. The view from the ground does not compare. The canopy is astounding.

Not something I do on every trip. These bees are special. Like most bees, they create a uniqe entrance to their nest that allows them to protect the colony from invaders, and have easy access.

These bees create a waxy cheese straw that they zip in and out of all day!

Friend and bee expert, David Roubik, transferred a large bee hive from a too small (but very heavy log) to a clean and large house. After taking two different chain saws to the log I saw what was inside. The bees had used the majority of space for trash and waste. A very small area in the log was used to store pollen and nectar. The bee “residence” was a grey-black mass the size of a rugby ball, layered with paper-thin material.

These bees don’t create the layers of “combs” that honey bees do.

But these bees make something that tastes even better. The nectar and pollen is stored in waxy resin containers. These vessels are the size and shape of small gourds. The honey inside is an elixir that tastes like a sauterne wine! Layered with citrus and flowers, the wine is sweet, and about the same thickness as a sauterne.

I don’t know that I’ll ever taste that complex, delicious honey again.

Want a close up? – play the video.

I ran into this creature unexpectedly. I wasn’t sure what it was at first because it was so large and I saw it fly. When did they start flying? I had never seen a grasshopper fly before.  Grasshoppers are part of the locust family. I couldn’t help but think about Biblical references to “plagues of locusts”. A swarm of these creatures could block the sun and eat all the vegetation in sight.

Beautiful red and black wings – they show up clearly on the video.