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Academic Update
There is no better way to experience the culture of a new country than a homestay experience. The students were recently dispersed far and wide to the limits of the Tablelands to spend a weekend with local families. The reported experiences were wonderful and the adventures were too good to be believed. While some of the students went to local farms and had a hand at feeding the cattle, others went to abandoned mine shafts in search of tin, gold and other treasures. Other students went to secluded beaches, panoramic lookouts, and even had the honor of observing a family of cassowaries in the wild.
Sunday afternoon in the rainforest is normally a peaceful place to be. The sounds of the many bird calls and the wind in the trees create a sense of serenity that helps in topping up the personal fuel tanks and recharging the batteries. This Sunday afternoon, that serenity was suddenly broken by the sounds of three vans returning to the Center, with their cargo of students, still fully energized from a free weekend among the adventure, excitement, and romance of Cairns. With the Great Barrier Reef only a short boat cruise away, many of the students chose to submerge themselves in the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean and be mesmerized by the fantasy world that exists only a few meters under the surface. Other students participated in bungee jumping, sightseeing, taking in a movie, and of course, shopping for special presents to bring back home.
- Ray Scarlett, Center Director
Student Reflections
The past week has been hectic with data collection for our Directed Research projects. In David’s group, we are researching water quality and volunteerism. Those in the group who have been studying volunteerism were busy at the Tolga Bat Hospital feeding baby spectacle flying foxes, preparing food, and cleaning. We also volunteered at TREAT and Landcare, where we planted trees, weeded, and watered recently-planted trees, but not without a smoko break (a short work break)!
The water quality group drove around to different creek sites on the Tablelands to test the water quality using electrodes. They also tested a few sites on the Center property and had an interview with a National Resource Management worker.
Collecting data for the DR projects has been enjoyable, but knowing we have to write a long research paper soon is a daunting task.
It hasn’t been all work and no play. We got to swim at Lake Eacham on our free time, which was refreshing after a hot day in the sun. We also stopped at a local dairy farm to try the cheese and chocolate selection.
- Lauren Zielke, Bowling Green State University
 Time has flown by, and it is amazing to look back on all the awesome things we’ve done! We spent last weekend in Cairns and got up early to snorkel and dive the Great Barrier Reef. I never expected to see this part of the world, but I’m sure glad that I’ve had the opportunity, even though I battled sea-sickness. The reef is gorgeous! My original plan was to snorkel only, but I decided to try an introductory dive, and it was a great decision! While pretending to be a mermaid, I snorkeled around and saw a shark at the sea floor, beautiful but threatening jellyfish, parrot fish nibbling on coral, and of course, thousands of other colorful fish. I saw clown fish, giant clams that I secretly wanted to stick my hand in, enormous sea cucumbers, and some of the most breathtaking coral I have ever seen. Because it is the start of jellyfish season, we had the privilege of wearing stinger suits, which are basically brightly colored, full body, spandex super-hero suits. Just picture fifteen spandex-clad bodies bobbing in the ocean, add snorkel faces, and it’s quite a sight! There were a few sea-sickness tragedies, but they just provided the fish with extra food. I feel closer to the Great Barrier Reef now.
- Hester Dingle, University of Redlands
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