Academic News

Students have gained a comprehensive overview of the Wet Tropics region, a rainforest rich in biodiversity and of significant biological importance. Lectures and field exercises have introduced students to the rainforest ecosystem, species of plants and animals typically found here and those of particular conservation interest. Plant identification, GPS and GIS skills have been learned as well as bird identification during frequent early morning bird walks around the Centre. At this time of year the Centre is alive with the sounds of the rainforest.

Rainforest restoration and regeneration of is a central theme of the courses at CRS and besides helping at the CRS nursery, students have also worked with local conservation groups such as TREAT and Landcare, potting seedlings and clearing rainforest areas of invasive weed species. Students have discussed the economic and social causes and consequences of environmental and natural resource depletion in Queensland. They have heard first hand from aboriginal elders the cultural importance of a healthy ecosystem and the value of fauna and flora to their beliefs and traditions. To gain an insight into changes that have occurred across the Atherton Tablelands, a variety of field sites have been visited including the Malanda Environment Centre, Wongabel State Forest, Tolga Scrub, the mining area of Herbeton and the Atherton Herbarium. Students have also driven around geological areas of interest on the Tablelands.

In understanding the complexity of issues surrounding resource use, habitat depletion and species conservation, students have in the short space of time learned a valuable amount and realize the importance of integrating ecology, forest management and socio-economics. More than anything, this field-based teaching program with hands-on experience has once again shown to be the most effective way for students to understand and address real-life conservation issues. These skills were put into excellent use during a recent field trip to Russell Island
Nigel Barton, Ph.D, Center Director


Student News

So far, the highlight of the semester has definitely been the field trip to Russell Island. This is a new field trip for CRS. Russell Island is one of five islands in Frankland Group National Park and is located 10km offshore of Deeral, about an hour's drive south of Cairns. Russell Island is covered in rainforest and the students conducted weed and fauna surveys. There are no facilities on the island and the students enjoyed camping and snorkeling right off the island to cool off after their hard work. We were fortunate to have beautiful weather all three days. Data analysis from the Russell Island field trip will be underway in the next few days. This is a lively group and we are off to a really good start!
Laura Manley, Student Affairs Manager

Student reflections

After about three weeks of the SFS program in Australia, we have not run out of new things to do and learn. I suspect that the next three months will prove equally packed with activities. We have just returned from Russell Island, a haven for ecologists and restoration scientists (and snorkellers and sailors). Though I need no respite from the beautiful rainforest of the Wet Tropics, the trip to a new environment was a great change for three days. Every morning at 6:30 we marched through the sand and forest and climbed over rocks to collect rats, geckos and toads. While ascending a large rock ornamenting one end of the island in a search for the source of a large, discarded snakeskin, we viewed sea turtles at the ocean's surface. We contributed to the beauty and preservation of the island by working together to document and pull weeds. Working, learning and being with friends on Russell Island provided a high point in my semester so far. Returning to the Centre for Rainforest Studies and feeling like I had come back home ensures that the rest of my time here will be similarly rewarding.
Elizabeth Wason

Our fieldwork has been incredible so far. We all just returned from a field excursion to Russell Island, an uninhabited tropical island within the Great Barrier Reef. We took all of our gear out on a ferry to the island and camped out for two nights within the beautiful scenery. On the island we preformed flora and fauna surveys and our professors introduced animal trapping and plant plotting as a method to quantify species. We had a great trip and between our surveys we spent our time exploring, hiking, snorkeling and weeding invasive plant species.
Anna Will