murri time

On Sunday, I'm leaving to go camping for a week. (So I won't have internet, obviously). I actually won't have any technology with me. No cell phones, i-pods, or computers are allowed. We can't even bring books! We are allowed to have 2 designated photographers for the trip, but no one else can bring a camera. I am hoping for one of those two positions! We'll be on Murri time for the camping trip - which means we'll do things when they need to be done. We're not allowed to bring watches. I'm mostly excited that we won't have to deal with money! After two weeks of figuring out bus fares and receiving stipend money for meals, I'll be glad to leave my wallet behind. We'll be camping a bit north of Cairns, at two different sites, with two aboriginal men, Ian and Russell. We'll be swimming every day to keep clean, since there won't be showers, running water, toilets, etc. I'm sure I'll have much to write when I get back from the trip, but I just wanted to post now to let you all know that I won't be in communication until next Saturday or Sunday!


Me having fun in the lagoon! Makes me want to keep my hair long...

more homestay

Okay, Mom demands more details about the life down under. Honestly, it’s not too much different from home! But people are definitely more environmentally conscious. 5 minute showers are a rule, and we don’t use the dryers for our clothes. We hang them up on the clothesline for a few hours, and then we just throw them in the dryer for 10 minutes or so to get the dampness out of them. The electric sockets everywhere also conserve energy: there are on/off switches on them, so when nothing is plugged in or when you aren’t using an appliance, your turn it off. It’s such an easy habit to get into: why don’t we have them at home!?

Helen, my homestay mom, is a wonderful cook, and very creative, considering she is now cooking for a vegetarian! We’ve had a lot of different foods, and always fresh fruits and vegetables. One of the main roads was flooded earlier this week from all the rain, so the grocery stores were practically empty because the produce trucks couldn’t get through, but I was still very well fed! We’ve had sushi, fried rice, pasta with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, a potato-egg-cheese pie with veggies, Thai curry with noodles, and I helped with a veggie stir fry. I usually have toast in the morning, and yes, I did try some Vegemite. A very small bit of Vegemite. It’s very salty… and I’ve seriously limited my sodium intake in recent years, so even things that are only a little bit salty are very salty for me. So I won’t be tasting a bigger bite. But Vegemite is just spread lightly on toast, sometimes with melted cheese or butter.

We have air conditioning in the house, but it’s only on when you are in the room taking advantage of it. I usually just turn mine on at night. There are screen doors all over the house, so the other doors are left open to catch any breeze or fresh air. My house has a pool, but the water is probably about 84 degrees or so because the sun has warmed it up so much! It hasn’t rained in a few days to cool it down, but it’s still refreshing when you are sitting in the sun.

Geckos and frogs are welcome visitors in homes because they eat the insects crawling around! There is a really cool native gecko – I am still trying to figure out its name – it’s almost translucent and has really goofy eyes. There were a few on the ceiling of the porch last night.

There are birds everywhere, all day. Everything is really green now, because it’s the rainy season, and summer. It’s quite pretty. Today the clouds finally lifted, even off the mountains in the distance. The sky was so blue. Beautiful.

More questions?

homestay

I’ve been at my homestay for one week now. I am staying in Freshwater, a suburb of Cairns, which is about a 20 minute bus ride from the city center. I’m staying with Helen Simpson. She has two sons, Hunter (10th grade) and MacLean (7th grade), but this week they are staying at their dad’s house, so I’m getting closer to Helen now. When I first got here, MacLean was very friendly. We played pool, which I am terrible at, and went swimming, and he made me “homemade sherbet” for dessert, which was a combination of sugar and a powdered sports drink. There is also a border collie, Maggie, and a small cat named Tabby, who I think is about half the size of Cassie (my cat).

We’ve had a bit more downtime during our homestay than we did during our first week here, with the weekends off, as well as Fridays and Mondays off. We go into town Tuesday-Thursday for lectures and fieldwork, and we’ve had a lot of reading to do while we’re at our homestays. The work is actually starting to pile up: it is time to start thinking more seriously about our Independent Study Projects; we are currently during a bird-watching assignment to analyze bird activity in suburbs; we have an upcoming “flora and fauna” project, where we will present our research to the group on our rainforest trip (I have honeyeaters and ground ferns – chose the ground ferns in honor of my dad, who loved them); and we have been reading like crazy.

The sun has been coming out almost every day now, which is exciting, and I’m starting to get some color (but wearing lots of sunscreen, of course: this part of Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world!) When we get out of class, we sometimes go down to the lagoon to swim and get some sun and just be outside.

This week we also went to the botanical gardens again. We had been there one of the first days in the pouring rain, so I was happy to go back with my camera (pictures on Facebook). We went on an “Evolutionary Trail” which showed the evolution of plants in Australia, from the first ferns and cycads to the most recently evolved angiosperms (flowering plants). There were SO many mosquitoes (mozzys) on the trail; I put bug spray on twice, but must have missed a small spot on my arm, because I have seven bites in one place!

This coming week we have many more lectures, and we’ll start analyzing our bird-watching data and writing papers for that assignment. When the homestay is over, we leave immediately for our camping trip with the Aborigines! Then we’ll be back to the Northern Greenhouse, our hostel which is sort of like home at this point. I’m enjoying the homestay. It’s strange to be away from the group after having been with them 24/7, but it’s nice to have some quiet time and some time to relax, feel settled in, and get some work done.

orientation week

Our week of orientation was certainly an adventure. It’s quite possible that I already know much more about the North Queensland environment than I do about Northwest New Jersey. After all, that’s one of the goals of this program.

We left Cairns on Monday. Our first stop was an Aboriginal cultural center. (Aboriginal people actually prefer to be called Murris; they won’t be offended if you call them Aborigines, but they will acknowledge that you are more respectful and culturally aware if you call them Murris.) We entered the building in a room filled with Aboriginal art depicting creation stories and myths. It was the first time I was able to get my camera out, because we weren’t in the rain!
We saw a brief historical film about the European invasion of Australia and the ways they treated the Aborigines, which can be compared to any other area that Westerners conquered. When Europeans first arrived, the Bama people (“Bama” simply means “the people”) thought the white men were spirits of the long dead returning. We also saw a film/play about Aboriginal creation stories: the Aborigines believed that in the beginning, there was a cassowary egg. From the egg, the world was born, and it was shaped by the Wet and the Dry (seasons). We went to the Tjapukai Dance Theater, where we listened to the didgeridoo, watched Aboriginal dances, and learned about rainforest medicines. We also learned to throw boomerangs and spears. The boomerang I wasn’t so hot at, but the spear is actually thrown in a similar way to serving in tennis, so I was a bit better at that skill!


When we left, we hopped on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, a 12 km journey to the town of Kuranda. We traveled above the rainforest canopy, where we were able to identify epiphytes, palms, climbing palms, nonnative species, and emergent trees from the sky. It was a really interesting way to apply what we had learned in the rainforest on our hike. There were two places where we could get off the Skyrail and walk around. The first was a short boardwalk trail through the rainforest. It was a fairly sunny day, not raining, and walking through such amazing vegetation made me really think that THIS was why I came to Australia. The second stop was at Barron Falls, a HUGE waterfall that was used for hydroelectric power. The water was very muddy from all the rain, but the falls were absolutely impressive. When we got to Kuranda, we had about an hour to walk around. I ended up at the Australia Venom Zoo with some other people, and while we did not want to pay to go inside, we did discover some Spiny Leaf Insects near the gates. One of the men working at the zoo explained them to us and let us hold them! They were pretty crazy; endemic to Australia, the females grow about a centimeter a month and live for about 16 months. The males are much smaller. They feed on the leaves of fruit trees. We held an almost full grown female, and you could feel the spines on her thorax as she crawled on our hands!

We stayed in another hostel that night, and after we had dinner, a few of us walked down to the beach, where we saw a jellyfish net. At this time of year, you still have to wear a stinger-suit, even when swimming in a jellyfish net, because the Irukandji jellyfish only grow to about 12mm, and they can squeeze through the holes in the jellyfish nets! We only walked on the beach for a little while before heading back to the hostel. We’ve all been falling asleep quite early each night, usually 10:30 at the latest, because our days are so busy!

In the morning on Tuesday, we went to Daintree National Park on a Kuku-Yalanji Tour. Our guide, Harold, led us through the rainforest and told us about different plants and their uses. Notably, he pointed out the tar tree, a tree which secretes a black sap that will give you blisters when you touch it and is used to tip spears in order to paralyze animals; the soap tree, the bark of which can be used to cure muscle pain and the leaves of which foam up like soap and can be used to wash with; the arrow tree, which can be bent to point in a certain direction and will heal and continue to grow with the bent still in it; and the matchbox seed, which was hollow and used to store dry grass to start fires, among many many other plants. We also walked by a 4,000 year old strangler fig tree! The strangler fig begins its life when a bird or other animal drops a seed on a host tree. The fig, a hemiepiphyte, drops its roots to the ground, where they take hold. The roots then begin to strangle and overtake the host tree, eventually killing it. The roots of the strangler fig can stretch for 4-5 km!

When we left Daintree, we went to Mossman Gorge, where we had lunch and swam. The water was very cold, but quite refreshing. The current was strong, so you could swim and swim but stay in the same place! We slid off rocks in the current that carried us down the gorge. We also hiked through the rainforest and learned more about the plants found there. We cooked dinner together at the hostel that night, which was fun, and saved us each a lot of money.

On Wednesday, we left our hostel in Port Douglas and went to the Rainforest Habitat. It was basically a zoo, but referred to as a “semi-natural habitat.” Most of the Habitat was filled with birds, including the cassowary, and I got quite a few neat pictures. We also watched a koala feed (or you could hold one and get your picture taken for $15, which I didn’t do), and we fed kangaroos and wallabies! They eat right out of your palm. Later that day we also walked through the rainforest at Malanda Falls and at Curtain Fig National Park. We stayed that night at another hostel, “On the Wallaby.” We were able to go look for platypus on the creek. It was pouring again, and we walked barefoot through the muddy path beside the creek, but we did get to see a platypus floating down on the current! It was small, less than 2 feet long, but it was worth it!

On Thursday, we had the mysterious “Drop-off.” All SIT programs have a drop-off. We all imagined it would be much more intimidating and difficult than it actually way! We were each dropped off in a random town in the area, by ourselves. We were just to spend about 5 hours in the town, talking to people and immersing ourselves in the culture. I got dropped off in Malanda. Two other SIT students, Megan and Lauren, were also dropped off in Malanda, but we weren’t supposed to get together. I started off at a thrift shop, but the woman there just acted like I was crazy and really had nothing to offer. I then talked to another man with a dog waiting by his car, but then his wife came, and she looked at me like I was crazy, so I left then. About half an hour after I was dropped off, I had pretty much seen the whole town. It was basically only two streets. There was absolutely no Aboriginal culture to be found, and very few people around at all. I had lunch in a small park, and then headed for this Dairy Museum, because it seemed to be the only show in town. The museum was about the size of my bedroom at home, though. There were tours of a dairy farm, but the last one started at 11, and I didn’t get there until about 12:30. Megan, Lauren, and I all ended up at the Dairy Museum at the same time, so we decided to just spend time together. We tried to go to a craft studio that was recommended to us, but it was closed for four weeks, starting about a day before we were there. We also tried going to a movie theater, the first one in Australia, but that was closed too. So we got some drinks in a coffee shop and read for a little while, and then I decided to try to do some research for my ISP. We went to the library, town council, and visitor center asking about local conservation and environmental groups. That part at least was helpful. After the drop-off, we all met Tony at a bar and had a drink, and then went back to the hostel for dinner and bed.

On Friday, we left On the Wallaby and did some bird-watching at Peterson Creek. We then went to Lake Eacham, which was absolutely beautiful. It was a crystal clear lake with rainforest all around, and the water was a perfect temperature. There was a dock that we could dive off of, and I really could have stayed in that water for days or more. We got back to Cairns that afternoon after a very muddy, very buggy, very humid, very wet week. But it was all perfect.

Today we took a boat out to the Great Barrier Reef! I got seasick. Threw up once before I got in the water, felt TERRIBLE while snorkeling at the first stop, got out and threw up again, and then felt fine! I snorkeled once more at our third stop (skipped the second one due to my stomach.) It was really amazing. We saw beautiful corals and tons of reef fish. I got a water-proof casing for my camera, but I couldn’t really see what I was doing underwater…I got a few good pictures though! We’ll be spending another 10 days on the reef (on an island, no boats next time!) so I’m sure I’ll learn much more about it and get some cool pictures and see some great wildlife!





Now, besides all this fun I’ve been having, I’ve also been doing work. Each day, we get a worksheet about local flora and fauna that we have to complete as we learn. We also have readings to do, and a Natural History Field Notebook, in which we can write any information, stories, reflections, or facts we learn, along with drawings or sketches. We all get together as a group in the evenings to do our homework before we fall asleep. It’s a pretty academically driven group, but the work is fun.

There are more pictures that I wanted to post, but my internet is cutting out! So I'll add more later. Hope all is well with everyone!

arrival

The flight to Australia wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected, although my shoulders and neck are hurting a bit today from sleeping on the plane. I flew into LA as the sun was setting, and by the time we landed it was dark. I was both appalled and amazed at how many lights were in the actual city. I kept thinking we were there, but more and more lights kept appearing! I just can’t believe how many people are crammed into a place with no water. The lights were both beautiful and disgusting.

I met the SIT group about halfway through my layover. We sat on the floor by our gate and played Australia-themed card games. I really like the group so far; everyone is very laid back and easy-going. There are two boys and 12 girls (including myself) in the program. I didn’t sit with anyone on the plane. I watched the movie Australia (ha) and then slept for most of the trip to Brisbane.

Once we landed in Brisbane, we had about an hour and a half layover. First, we had to go through Customs, where a small beagle got me in trouble because I had an orange in my bag. They confiscated that from me and gave the dog a treat! Then we had to pick up our baggage, check in and re-check our baggage, take a train to our terminal, go through security again, and make it to our gate! We JUST made it during the final boarding call. The flight to Cairns (pronounced CANS) wasn’t long. Flying into Cairns was absolutely beautiful. The “mountains” are less than 1,000 feet, but they appear much larger, and are covered with beautiful forest. I was the kid taking pictures out of the plane window as we landed.



We are staying in a hostel called the Northern Greenhouse. It’s nice; we’re 4 or 5 to a room. The common room is a covered porch with couches and two computers, and there is a kitchen where we can get breakfast in the morning or cook our own food. We had most of the day when we arrived to ourselves. I walked around with a few other kids; we went down to the water and had paninis for lunch at a café. I hate cities, but Cairns is the perfect size for me. It’s a somewhat touristy town, but has a really pretty town center where there is live music, and lots of pretty trees and flowers around all the sidewalks. Plus, you can see the mountains and ocean from many places in the city.

Later, the whole group went down to the “lagoon,” a huge public pool filled with filtered ocean water. The lagoon is structured so that when you look out toward the ocean, it appears as if you are actually in the ocean, with the mountains surrounding you. I was floating on my back in the water when these HUGE bats, like the size of red-tailed hawks, flew screaming over head. It was dusk, and there was a lone white egret flying calmly through their scattered crowd. It was sort of surreal. It was a great end to a tired, humid day. Tony, our director, then took us out for pizza. A large pizza was about the size of a personal pizza at home! We went to sleep soon after we returned to the hostel, and it really just took that one night of sleep to recover from any jet lag.

On Saturday, we got up early to grab breakfast (Vegemite was an option, but I haven’t tried it yet!) and then took taxis to the base of Mount Whitmore. It was pouring, but we hiked to the top (about 600 feet) despite the rain. Tony and Jack, another advisor, talked to us about many of the plants and other land features as we hiked, and we were given water-proof notebooks for the semester. It just took the one hike to accept that we are going to be damp and everything we own will probably be wet for most of the semester! The rainforest was also beautiful; it was just hard to look at everything because the rain was falling in your eyes every time you looked up! I would love to go back to that trail, as well as the Botanical Gardens next door, when it’s not raining, so that I can take pictures. We ended the hike with a walk along a boardwalk through a swamp, which had impressive vegetation, and had brunch under a pavilion. Apple-guava juice, dragon fruit, star fruit, mangos, watermelon, pineapple, kiwis, and scones with jelly and cream was absolutely delicious! We spent the rest of the day in meetings about the semester, and it never stopped raining!

Today we just had more meetings at Reef Teach, the classroom we’ll be using while we’re in Cairns and on our homestay. Tomorrow, we are driving North to Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands to continue orientation for the week. I’ll be out of internet until I get back in Cairns on Saturday!

Here is some more info from the rest of my readings, which you don’t have to read, although I think the last two parts are particularly interesting!

~Because the Australian government essentially had no ties to the land or history attached to the environment there, it was easy for them to promote economic growth, industrialization, population growth, increased and improved technology, and huge development projects that negatively affected the environment and nature of the continent.
~The use of the term “stakeholders” in Australia in the 1990s, especially popular with bureaucrats, businesspeople, and others negotiating development, reinforced economic imperatives and excluded nature.
~Rainforests, like those found in Australia, maybe defined as “A closed moisture-loving community of trees, usually containing one or more subordinate storeys of trees and shrubs; frequently mixed in composition; the species typically, but not invariably, broadleaved and evergreen; heavy vines (lianes); vascular and non vascular epiphytes, stranglers and buttressing often present and sometimes abundant; floristic affinities mainly with the Antarctic or Indo-Malaysian floras; eucalypts typically absent except as relics of an earlier community.” The diversity of life found in rainforest communities is a major factor in what distinguishes rainforests from other ecosystems and vegetation types. The height and depth of canopy closure, as well as the leaves, vines, and trunks of vegetation, and special life forms or growth forms, are used to classify different types of rainforests. Such rainforests may be classified as vine forests, fern forests, or mossy forests. Climate and weather are also used to classify rainforests in categories such as subtropical rainforests, dry rainforests, warm-temperate rainforests, and cool-temperate rainforests.
~Australia was once part of Gondwanaland, a giant land mass made up of the present day land masses of Africa, South America, Antarctica, India, Madagascar, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and part of New Guinea. This landmass began to break up about 120 million years ago. One of the last events of this break-up was Australia’s separation from Antarctica about 50 million years ago. Antarctica stayed in the same location, while Australia drifted northward. During a 35 million year period of isolation from other land masses, Australia was able to develop the great diversification of the unique flora and fauna on the continent.
~The community composition of a coral reef is largely determined by light availability, wave action, sediment load, salinity, and tidal range. Available food and inorganic nutrients, temperature, and the topography of the sea floor are also important factors. Hermatypic or reef-building corals refer to corals that contain zooxanthellae, or single-celled algae, that live symbiotically with the coral polyps. Corals that do not contain this algae are referred to as ahermatypic. Hermatypic corals require sunlight to grow, because the algae need photosynthesis. Ahermatypic corals do not need sunlight, and can grow at any ocean depth. In order to reproduce effectively in environments where water is constantly moving and parents may be separated, the corals of the Great Barrier Reef have synchronized their reproductive behavior to the time of year when water temperature is increasing most rapidly after winter, the phases of the moon (when the moon is full), and time of day (shortly after sunset)! “At least half of all the corals of the entire Great Barrier Reef release their gametes just after dark about five days after the full moon in late spring.” Many corals deposit layers of skeleton in seasonal cycles. These layers, like the growth rings of trees, can act as biological clocks.