PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The School for Field Studies (SFS) Natural Resource Management and Rainforest Research Summer program offers two four-credit courses that may be taken individually or back to back to provide a thorough introduction to biodiversity conservation, and the socioeconomic factors influencing land and resource management in two unique areas.
OVERVIEW
Large areas of northeastern Queensland, Australia, were once covered in spectacular tropical rainforests, preserving millions of years of evolutionary history. Timber felling, farming, and development have destroyed and disrupted rainforest ecosystems and habitats, leaving fragile fragments that are often too small or isolated to sustain some species. Though many of Australia’s tropical forests and species are now protected under World Heritage legislation, they face continual threats due to climate change and invasive species. And similarly, only fragments of northern New Zealand’s ancient forests remain to house the endemic fauna and flora.
This summer course may be taken individually or in combination with Rainforest Research Field Techniques in Australia in Session II. Students participating in both sessions are eligible for a $600 discount.
STUDENT RESEARCH
Australia and New Zealand share a similar Gondwanan history; however, European settlement patterns, indigenous histories, and economic development are very different in the two countries. Through our summer study abroad program in New Zealand, students discover its critically endangered flora and fauna and the impacts that have led to their decline. In Australia, students take their New Zealand study abroad experiences and examine similarities and differences in political structure, co-management arrangements, land-use patterns, and biogeography. Students will:
Learn rainforest research field techniques on unique flora and fauna in Australia, which are transferable to any other forest ecosystem in the world including New Zealand. These skills are vital for those who decide to pursue a career in the environmental sector.
- Determine ecosystem types and learn field techniques, such as trapping, mapping plots, and spotlighting
- Learn social science survey techniques and how to quantifiably and qualitatively assess human resource use and how it relates to restoration and conservation
- Assess density and diversity of flora and fauna in pristine forests and restoration plots
BENEFITS OF TAKING BOTH COURSES
- Students participating in both sessions are eligible for a $600 discount.
- Students earn 8 credits
- Home school financial aid may be applied toward the program
- Earning 8 credits likely will allow students to qualify for federal financial aid, depending on their particular situation
- There are five days off between courses for independent travel. Students will be near great locations, such as the Great Barrier Reef
- There are no prerequisites
- Possible SFS travel grants may apply for airfare
RESEARCH FOCUS/THEME
- Biogeographic history and conservation of highly endangered and fragmented rainforest communities
- Putting people into the matrix—developing natural resource management policies that work
- Field techniques for sampling rainforest faunal communities, floral communities, and social and economic variables associated with rainforest use
FIELD RESEARCH, LECTURES, AND EXERCISES
- Examine the influence of fragmentation and other impacts on abiotic and biotic attributes of forest communities in Australia and New Zealand
- Visit the ancient rainforest refugia at Mossman Gorge and Daintree National Parks
- Visit the ancient Kauri forests of northern New Zealand
- Examine Aboriginal vs. Maori historic land-use practices in Australia and New Zealand
HOUSING
In New Zealand, student accommodations will be at various lodges (included in program costs). The Australia accommodations are eight-person cabins at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies, in the heart of the Australian rainforest.
Students who are unable to commit to the full eight weeks to complete both components may apply for one session only. Please contact the admissions department to further discuss this option: admissions@fieldstudies.org
