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This news just in from Queensland!

5/6/97Students reluctantly say their good-byes and remember all the hard work and good times they had in Queensland, Australia. Join us in September when a new group of students arrive at the Center for Rainforest Studies ready for new adventures in the rainforest of Queensland, Australia!
5/2/97Students prepare for their oral presentations. The three best will be presented on Sunday night to guests who have helped out during the semester.
5/1/97Directed research papers due today. Students get to concentrate while the staff does the cooking!
4/30/97Directed research projects coming to a close. Tensions rise and stress rules.
4/29/97While spotlighting last night saw two brush tail possums and a green possum.
4/28/97Sports during the day with plans for spotlighting to see animals at night.
4/25/97Trip to Historic Peeramon Pub topped off a terrific day!
4/24/97Final day of directed research field work. Some students saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle at Toohey's Creek Corridor.
4/23/97Second to last day of directed research field work. Working in the field today has been unpleasant due to cool windy weather.
4/22/97Directed research is coming to a close because there are only two weeks left! Everyone is getting excited about Passover.
4/21/97Treated to a beautiful day and finished it off with breakfast for dinner!
4/18/97Melissa Arvay's Birthday. We all ate ice cream to celebrate!
4/17/97More rain! Wet conditions cause further headaches for drivers and groups in the field. Some groups have even had to push their vehicles out of the mud.
4/16/97Directed research projects back on track since it has finally stopped raining.
4/15/97Directed research field work made messy by onslaught of rain. Some groups forced to abandon projects for today because of rain.
4/14/97Directed research outings are limited due to the rain. Most people are finding it hard to get back into things after spending a brilliant day off seeing Nandroya Falls and playing Rugby.
4/9/97Students continue to work in the field on their directed research projects.
4/8/97More field work for directed research projects.
4/7/97Field Research for directed research projects.
4/4/97Second day of field work, with all quiet around the center.
4/3/97First day of directed research field work!
4/2/97Finishing directed research proposals and getting set for field work.
4/1/97Students play April fool's joke on staff by taking the their clothes, dressing up in them and pretending to be the staff!
3/31/97A beautiful day to be working on directed research projects. Everyone is a bit slow after a hectic break.
3/25/97Students leave for spring break and will return on March 30, 1997.
3/21/97General Friday stuff! There is both excitement and frustration at the prospect of Tropical Cyclone Justin heading our way because our break is scheduled for next week.
3/20/97Trip to Department of Primary Industries in Mareeba, a town in the northwest area of Queensland. Attended lectures on watershed management given by employees.
3/19/97Trip to Toohey's Creek to look for big water bugs (macroinvertebrates). Students ended up getting into a big mud fight!
3/18/97Morning lectures by Danny and Josh. Spent the afternoon working on the final case study.
3/17/97Trip to water monitoring station at Mazlin Creek to see how water quality testing is done.
3/14/97Regular classroom activities today with warrowork and sport after lunch.
3/13/97Trip to dairy farm on the tablelands to see an example of reforestation of the waterways. Cyclone Justin expected to become a rain depression soon.
3/12/97Spent the afternoon visiting local farms in the Babinda district, 60 km south of Cairns. We ate lots of fruit at a local fruit farm and went swimming at the boulders.
3/11/97Field trip to Bromfield Swamp to see reforestation project. Cyclone Justin stationary in the Coral Sea and is expected to intensify.
3/10/97Began new case study on watershed management. Cyclone Justin is now a category 2 cyclone with winds up to 130 km/hr, located 600 km east of Cairns.
3/7/97Final day of cassowary case study. Exam was followed by another Volleyball match with the staff vs. students. Staff won again even with one player out! Cyclone Justin has formed of the coast of Queensland.
3/6/97Went to Toohey's Creek Corridor to check small mammal traps and reptile pitfall traps that were set yesterday. Caught and released one rodent possibly a Bush rat.
3/5/97Putting all of our research on the cassowary case study together for a project. Final day for write up of the case study paper.
3/4/97Guest lecturer spoke about cassowary research. After lunch we had Warrawork (chores) and sport!
2/27/97Start of case study two write up. Students are basically collating data and writing their first papers.
2/26/97Students had to walk a transect and look for possible foods of the cassowary and any droppings along the way. Ping Pong tournament is over. John Grant, a faculty member was the winner!!
2/25/97Last day of Mission Beach field trip. Very hot but worth it.
2/24/97Spent the day traveling around Mission Beach area researching the lifestyle and feeding habits of the cassowary.
2/23/97Field trip to beautiful Mission Beach, a coastal rainforest area where we will learn more about the endangered cassowary.
2/22/97Visited Toohey's Creek to see if animals are returning to the recently reforested area.
2/20/97Day 1 of rainforest ecology study. Designing an experiment to see if seeds in cassowary droppings are eaten by predators.
2/19/97Exams over first case study. Volleyball game, students vs. staff. Staff won!!
2/18/97Plant Identification Quiz today, along with case study synthesis. General stress all around, but relieved with a good game of volleyball!
2/17/97In study mode at the moment, students completing their first case study on reforestation techniques. In evening, celebrated Jonah's Birthday.
2/14/97Valentines cards for everyone. Went out to measure trees again. We did Warrawork (chores) and then played sports.
2/13/97Trip to Barry Thurling's farm where he keeps cattle and is reforesting his waterways in an attempt to increase production.
2/12/971st day of field work. Saw nasty stinging tree with large heart-shaped leaves.
2/11/97Cyclone Gillian formed off the coast. She is currently 400 km off Cape Flattery and is slowly moving south at 4 km/hr.
2/10/97Class with Nigel Tucker from TREAT, talking about weeds, and Col. Robinson on geology of Tablelands. Afternoon with Arthur Wright, lecturing on production forests.
2/9/97Visited tiny rainforest village of Kuranda and their markets. Went to butterfly sanctuary, saw the common Ulysses Butterfly.
2/8/97Field trip to Eubanangee Swamp about 1 1/2 hours away.
2/7/97Went to TREAT nursery, helped seed fruits, re-size saplings, and report seedlings. Had Warrawork - where students help clean up center.
2/6/97Went on a plant walk, learned how to use a tree identification key to identify plants.
2/5/97 Toured Atherton tablelands' "big trees", saw Kauri Pines, and the two strangler figs.
2/4/97 First case study began, lots of reading. Afternoon spent looking at flora in rainforest surrounding center. Saw a massive strangler fig and bell bird vine.
2/3/97First Aid scenarios were fun, the staff pretended to be hurt and we had to give first aid.
1/31/97The students have arrived!

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