PROGRAM DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW
The School for Field Studies (SFS) Natural Resource Management and Rainforest Research Summer study abroad 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.
In summer Session II: Techniques for Rainforest Research in Australia, students examine the effects of fragmentation in highly endangered rainforest systems, explore Australia’s tropical rainforests and develop effective field research skills in multiple disciplines while learning about rainforest restoration and conservation.
OVERVIEW
Rainforest ecosystems are a “hot spot” for fauna and floral biodiversity and provide humans with clean air, water, food, and medicines. Still, thousands of acres disappear each day. 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 are faced with continual threats due to climate change and invasive species.
This summer course may be taken individually or in combination with Natural Resource Management in Australia and New Zealand in Session I. Students participating in both sessions are eligible for a $600 discount.
STUDENT RESEARCH
In this summer study abroad program, students will explore Australia’s tropical rainforests and develop effective field research skills in multiple disciplines while learning about rainforest restoration and conservation. 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
- These skills are vital for those who decide to pursue a career in the environmental sector
- Assess density and diversity of flora and fauna in pristine forests and restoration plots
- 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
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
- Sampling design, GPS and GIS techniques, plant identification, forest survey techniques, animal survey methods, and social science research techniques
- Experience largely intact lowland forest and contrast with the fragmentation effects that impact the rainforests of the upper Tablelands
HOUSING
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
