Australian Wildlife Conservation UNSW, Australia Christina Chianelli

1
Australian Wildlife ConservationUNSW,
AustraliaChristina Chianelli
Figure 1. Cairns Sunrise
Results
Introduction Between June 16th and July 31st,
2006 I studied abroad all over Australia. Our
program took us to Darwin, Kakadu, the Red
Centre, Alice Springs, Sydney, Cairns and the
Daintree Rainforest. After the program, I
traveled to Tasmania and New Zealand for 10 days
with a couple of people I met on the trip.
Figure 5. Sydney Opera House
The majority of class time was split between
lectures (from my professor and guest speakers)
and excursions to a variety of areas to better
understand the concepts we learned in class.
Visiting Aboriginal homesteads so that we could
better understand their view on land management
and hiking around a variety of ecosystems were
common in our class. We we lucky to be able to
experience a variety of habitats within Australia
and gained first hand knowledge while traveling.
Guides were used a lot to give us a more in depth
view of wildlife in the area and our professor
was able to relate to many of the sites we
visited because he had worked there in previous
years. We were also able to get up close and
personal with a lot of Australias native
wildlife. On the list of species we were able to
hold/touch were olive pythons, filled neck
lizards, fruit bats, koalas, kangaroos, blue
tongue lizards the list goes on and on. We had a
couple of in class quizzes, but the majority of
our grade was based on the field notebook and
field reports and were completed after each
excursion. The only test we took was the final
and it consisted of all the information we gained
over the last six weeks.
Figure 3. Daintree Rainforest Canopy
Objective The Australian Wildlife Conservation
program wanted to introduce us to the diverse
landscape types existing in Australia, introduce
unique flora and fauna, develop and appreciation
of the influence of indigenous people, an
introduction to the natural and cultural heritage
conservation management principles, and how to
manage the land and wildlife of Australia.
Materials and Methods
Identifying the Program I was the first person
at U of I to attend this program, but I found a
brochure in the Study Abroad Office. Requirements
The program itself does not have any
requirements, but it is helpful to have some
knowledge of biological sciences. Application
Process All of the forms were given to me and
once I was accepted by UNSW and the Study Abroad
Office I was on my way.
Figure 4. The Olgas in Uluru
Figure 2. View from Mt. Wellington, Tasmania
Figure 6. Yellowwaters in Kakadu
Discussion
Expenses The trip overall cost 12,000. The
program fee, including the flights that were
booked through VSR, food, transportation, and
activities, was 10,000. Traveling to Tasmania
and New Zealand, including hostels, food, and
random fun stuff cost 2,000. Preparations I
did not attend any pre-departure information
sessions, but I did talk to a couple of people I
knew that had recently gotten back from
Australia. I also e-mailed the program director
for the program to find out certain things about
Australia. Concerns I was worried about the
wide variety of deadly creatures found within
Australia. Going over the summer meant that it
was winter there and that I did not have to be
concerned with the animals because they are less
likely in the winter months. Other than that I
was extremely excited about the adventure I was
about to embark on.
At first I was very skeptical of the trip and how
hands it would be. When I signed up for this
program, I wanted to learn as much as I could
while still being able to interact with the
environment. That was achieved and then some
with this program. The program allowed us to
experience a lot more than I could of hoped for.
From climbing up waterfalls to spot a cane toad
to hiking in the Daintree Rainforest in hopes of
seeing a Orange Footed Scrub Fowl, the program
kept you on your toes. The people in Australia
were wonderful. They were all very relaxed and
laid back about everything. If you needed help
finding your way, they would give you directions
and sometimes even go out of their way to make
sure you made it home safe. There is so much to
experience in Australia its hard to fit it all
in. If youre ready for an adventure and are
willing to get a little dirty, this is the study
abroad program for you.