Laetitia took her group to Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, which was created to preserve the natural setting of lava flows, craters, and lush rain forests that followed from eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea in the recent and distant past. The group walked through lava tubes and hiked among lava and pumice interspersed with vegetation.

The Nene goose is found Hawaii. It is a close relative of the Canada goose and mostly feeds on the ‘Ohelo berries that grow in the area. The birds are flightless, and in their present habitat flight seems not to provide a selective advantage. The adult geese can be quite aggressive, and an incident involving two members of her group gave Laetitia the limerick of the day.

A buxom young hiker named Mary
Who bent down for an ‘Ohelo berry
Flushed an irked Nene goose
Who “goosed” her caboose
So she shrieked, spun around, and slapped Larry.