by Bryan Roeder, Intern, 4/11/97... from Queensland
The internships at the School for Field Studies vary according to each of the
seven programs around the world. Here in Australia, at the Center for
Rainforest Studies, the interns perform a wide variety of tasks. We assist the
Site Manager in keeping the center buildings, vehicles and field equipment in
top shape. We also assist the faculty in preparing field exercises, lectures,
exams, and field trips; and are available to the students for tutoring and help in
their field research. A large part of our time is spent organizing, purchasing, and
keeping records of the supplies for the school.
My favorite part of the job is interacting with the students as we try to help
them adjust to the intense community atmosphere of the School for Field
Studies, and to the different sort of lifestyles and customs found here in
Australia. Interns are college graduates with a degree in biology or the
environmental sciences and usually have completed an SFS course. Both
myself and Paul Buzzard studied in Kenya at the Center for Wildlife
Management.
What did you do on your break? ...Austin L., Bellaire, TX, USA
by Melanie McGarry, 4/11/97... from Queensland
On my break I rented a car with three friends and we drove down the coast. (It
was fun to drive on the left-hand side of the road!) We spent a night on
Magnetic Island in a beautiful hostel on the beach. Then, I took the ferry back
to Townsville and stayed with some friends there. They took me to Billabong
Sanctuary where I fed koalas and kangaroos, held a big python, and saw
crocodiles, cassowaries, emus, wombats, echidnas (a spiny anteater), dingos
and lots of other Australian animals. We then drove back up to Cairns where
we saw Star Wars before we were picked up to go back to the center.
What has the weather been like since you have been in Australia?
...Janice A., Boise, ID, USA
by Sharon Cislowski, Intern, 4/11/97... from Queensland
The weather has been varied since the start of the semester! We've had periods
where it rains for a week with a few fine days in between, and we've had
periods with just a few showers throughout the week. We have also had a few
cyclones, which are low pressure systems of between 970-990 Hector
Pascals. They are a little like the hurricanes that happen in the northern
hemisphere. These systems bring a lot of wind and rain with them, and once
they cross the coast they usually become rain depressions, and cause a lot of
flooding in the area. It is also cooler on the tablelands than on the coast. This is
because we are about 800m above sea level. Because we are in the mountains
we get a lot more rain than the coast.
