Climate Change in the Rainforest

  Australia

• Queensland: 
Cairns

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Inquire for specific dates.

Description: Climate models predict that local temperatures in Queensland will rise about 3.5 degrees centigrade in the next century, resulting in a nearly 50 percent extinction rate among animals found only in the Wet Tropics. As temperatures warm, animals living in islands of cooler mountaintop habitat will be forced ever higher, until they run out of mountain. Other rainforest life may be restricted from shifting their range due to barriers from land clearing, roads and fences, or weeds and feral animals. Preparing to conserve rainforest biodiversity in the face of these enormous changes will require a deeper understanding of current ranges of forest creatures. You can help Dr. Stephen Williams (James Cook University) measure the distribution and abundance of animals in the unrivaled Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, to assess the impact of climate change.

This is a unique opportunity to visit some of the region's most magnificent rainforests and see a diverse array of forest animals at close quarters, from leaf-tailed geckos to possums. Working with Williams and his research team, you will sample the abundance of birds, reptiles, mammals, frogs, plants, and insects at 200-meter elevation intervals up little-used mountain tracks. You will set insect traps and sort their contents, trap small mammals, hunt for lizards, comb tropical streams and forest transects for calling frogs, collect bird abundance data, and spotlight for nocturnal mammals and reptiles. Your efforts here will contribute to the goals of the North Queensland regional initiative. In your free time, you may swim in isolated rainforest streams and explore the forest tracks, or take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef.

For three nights, one each at the beginning, middle, and end of your trip, you will stay in Atherton in a comfortable modern house with bunk-beds, bathrooms, hot showers, and a kitchen. In the field, you will be staying in tents in forested campgrounds, one of them adjacent to a crystal-clear freshwater stream with a large swimming hole. The campsites include showers, composting toilets, and cooking facilities. You will help prepare hearty camp fare from fresh local ingredients, including stir-fries, curries, and casseroles, topped off by luscious tropical fruits.

Highlights: Spending half of your time at each of the two study sites, you will conduct diverse samples at 200-meter-elevation intervals for birds, reptiles, mammals, frogs, epiphytic plants, mosses, and other forest life. You will walk 150-meter transects for birds, set traps for small mammals, comb strip transects for calling tree frogs, and check pit fall traps for soil invertebrates. Your findings will help build predictive models instrumental in the conservation of critical refuge areas, corridors of connectivity, and other conservation applications.

Qualifications: Earthwatch volunteers are enthusiastic to learn about the research topic and are willing to contribute their time and energy to support leading scientists in conducting field research. Volunteers will be trained upon arrival at the research site. There is no upper age limit, yet all volunteers must be at least 16 years old, and in some cases 18 or 21 years old.

Cost in US$: 2,846

As a non-profit organization that supports scientific research, the SOC can be tax-deductible for U.S. citizens in some cases. Contact Earthwatch for details. U.S. members of Earthwatch are eligible for a $100 reduction of the SOC.

Please select the Earthwatch website link shown above to view the SOC for this project.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people: educators gain new knowledge and develop exciting lesson plans; students explore career options and build research skills; writers, photographers and artists contribute their skills and share their experiences through a variety of media; businessmen and women, doctors and nurses, engineers, homemakers, retirees . . . people from all walks of life choose to volunteer on research expeditions each year. Volunteers are actively engaged on a daily basis with the research project, develop global perspectives, and explore new cultures and environments.

Age Range: 16+

This Program is open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Australia Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 5-12

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement: Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Through a unique method of funding, the volunteers Share of Cost contributes directly to the support of the research projects. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. Each year, over 4,000 people from 46 countries directly contribute to scientific research by working alongside scientists, local community members and other volunteers. Earthwatch volunteers can track sea turtles; join archaeological digs; observe animal behavior; collect rare plants, study dolphin behavior and more. The Earthwatch community also includes 20,000 global members, 4,000 eager volunteers each year, 50 collaborating conservation organizations, and 50 corporate partners, all of whom work together to make a difference. Below you will find out more about our leadership, employment opportunities, and contact information.

Year Founded: 1971