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Academic News

We aren't the Center for Rainforest Studies for nothing! Unlike most of Australia that is suffering drought, north Queensland has been enveloped under a very active monsoonal trough for the first week that our new group of students has been here. Since last Monday, when the group arrived, we have had 200mm of rain, 106mm of that in the last 24 hours!  More is on the way, forecast to last at least until the end of the week.

But, as the locals say, we're not made of sugar, and so far scheduled activities have continued undeterred. A highlight of the week was the Atherton Tablelands Discovery Exercise during which the group got their first taste of the local small towns Yungaburra, Malanda, and Atherton. Armed with curiosity and polite charm small groups were charged with discovering the history, industry, and life blood of these small towns by any ingenious means available to them. Some got the low down on these towns at the local information centers, some made a beeline for the Shire offices, and others unearthed history while happening upon a meeting of older ladies at the historical society. All got a feel for what makes these towns tick.

Saturday saw the group out and about on the Tablelands again, this time taking in the rich geological history of the region. Through the drizzle the group was introduced to the local cinder cones and shield volcanoes, evidence of comparatively recent volcanism, which explains the presence of rich basaltic soils that have been so extensively cleared for agriculture. On the tour the group could see the connections between geology, soil, vegetation, land-clearing and rainforest fragmentation apparent in the landscape around them.

For the keen birders in the group, a highlight of the week was most definitely the cassowary seen at Mt. Hypipamee. The group was very lucky to encounter the big bird gorging on fallen rainforest fruit just a short distance from the walking track. Not content with one far north Queensland specialty, some students have also checked out the blue-faced parrot-finches here on the site. This pretty finch is uncommon and sought out by avid bird-watchers visiting north Queensland. We're lucky to have them as regular wet season visitors, taking advantage of the seeding grasses adjacent to our tracks and old orchard areas. Dr. Amanda Freeman, Center Director

Student Reflections

We awake not to the sounds of cars passing by or the slow hum of the heaters in our houses back home, or even to an alarm clock, but to the sounds of the rainforest. The rain beating against the tin roof, an animal's call Lili describes as a cross between a duck and an angry cat, and millions of cicadas, and you wonder why they make such a noise and if they ever stop… and we realize that we are in the rainforest. Lindsay Philips, Colby College

While each spot had something special to offer, the highlight of our day, and for some perhaps the highlight of their entire trip, was a sighting of the often talked about, but rarely seen, cassowary on Mt. Hypipamee. We were told not to get our hopes up, that sightings of this magnificent bird were uncommon at best, but our group never let our hopes die. We were ready with cameras in hand when Jess brought word of the sighting. We ran down the path and there, just a few feet from us, was the rare cassowary bird. We came, we saw, we took pictures. This will forever be known as the day of the cassowary sighting! Kaitlin Burke, University of Puget Sound

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