This “storybook” is a culmination of the research each student conducted on a topic related to the theme of the study abroad program Australia – Managing Diverse Ecosystems. During their time in Australia students interviewed people knowledgeable about their topic, collected data, took photos, and made observations. We hope you enjoy reading what the students discovered about Australia and themselves. It was an honor and delight to get to know these awesome students and to share their experience in “The Land Down Under”! - Dr. Mark Burbach & Dr. Jessica Corman, trip leaders.
Wildlife Management: Actions Taken to Protect the Animals of Australia - by Lilly Cast
Australia is home to numerous animals of all shapes and sizes. There are multiple organizations and groups that work hard to ensure the protection and care for the wildlife of Australia. Australians take pride in showing the efforts they have made to preserve the natural beauty of their country.
Australia is home to multiple endangered species including the Tasmanian Devil, Australian Sea Lion, several species of parrots and many more. What the natives and visitors do through their time on Australia’s islands and mainland can have a big impact on the wildlife that live there.
"Not everything in Australia wants to kill you, but everything in Australia can kill you." - Tom, Daintree Rainforest guide.
Read the rest of the story at https://snr.unl.edu/undergrad/beyondclassroom/studyabroad/australia2022/cast-wildlife-management.aspx
Bushfire Management - by Julia Holz
In January/February of 2019, a bushfire occurred in the Tahune Forest Reserve of Tasmania which is where we observed the new growth and aftermath four years later. Due to climate change, the world is seeing rising temperatures and more extreme weather conditions. This 2019 bushfire was ignited due to dry lightening strikes. The bushfire was then prolonged due to the hot, windy, and dry weather conditions of the Australian summer. This was the warmest and driest Summer on record for Tasmania, and this bushfire was a concern for Tasmania for around a month. The highest scale of the fires was when more than 2.5% of Tasmania was burnt or burning.
Read the rest of the story at https://snr.unl.edu/undergrad/beyondclassroom/studyabroad/australia2022/holz-bushfire-management.aspx
Queer Communities Down Under - by Sagan Smith
I met Robin in the Blue Mountains of Southwest Australia. We had just left a cafe, where we stumbled upon each other with no prior point of contact. He told me his name and his story, and our time was nearly halfway over before he remembered to ask me for my own name. Thinking back at this gay man who had grown up through the 1970s and 80s, I can’t help but wonder if this unintentional discretion—this implicit respect for anonymity—was a vestige of an old survival tactic.
Read the rest of the story at https://snr.unl.edu/undergrad/beyondclassroom/studyabroad/australia2022/smith-queer-down-under.aspx
More details at: https://snr.unl.edu/undergrad/beyondclassroom/studyabroad.aspx