Description

Expedition Summary
Help Earthwatch scientists unravel the mystery of the world's vanishing frog species in an eastern Australian rainforest.

Expedition Details
Join Associate Professor Michael Mahony from the University of Newcastle and explore the fertile mountain forests of Australia's Hunter region, collecting data that will help scientists understand how our frog populations might cope or flounder as they encounter chytrid infections. In the past Earthwatch volunteers have contributed to the exciting discovery of four new species of frog and have identified both healthy and struggling frog populations. Teams are now needed to find out why some frogs are dying while others are flourishing.

Meals and Accommodations
Be prepared for camping-style accommodations. The approach here is to camp at sites where the team will have access to bush kitchens (undercover sheds with an open fire place and benches). Duties in the preparation of food and cooking will be shared in rotating teams and depending on team numbers; any graduate student research assistants present will share the duties of scientific direction and logistics. The research sites at which you will work are within a State Forest, and are some distance from the local towns. A considerable portion of work occurs after dark, and camping near the study sites avoids night-time driving. Because the aim is to study a number of sites, a single base camp nearby is most efficient and provides unrivalled access to the forest that just cannot be matched working out of built facilities.

There will be a large central camp tent and all necessary gear to make work and leisure time comfortable. The site where you will camp has toilets but not showers, although there is a nearby creek for freshening up.

About the Research Area
Watagan National Park, New South Wales
The rainforests of the Eastern escarpment World Heritage Area occur on the Great Escarpment of the Great Dividing Range. This range runs roughly parallel to the east coast of Australia and is separated from the coast by a narrow coastal plain. The plain is a rich agricultural zone that has been extensively cleared. The escarpment, however, is forested and provides habitat for a rich and varied flora and fauna.

These forests contain flora that has its origins and evolution in the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, and the flowering trees are ancestors to the flowering trees of the world. By international standards the mountains are not high, rising to a maximum of 1200 meters. In the ancient landscapes of Australia, the Great Dividing Range is perhaps the most significant landscape feature of the eastern seaboard.

Highlights

Along the east coast of Australia, nine species of frogs, about 5% of Australian frog species, have disappeared in the past two decades and are now presumed extinct. A further 20 species have declined alarmingly in distribution and abundance and 27 species are listed as threatened by the national Action Plan for Australian Amphibians. It is perplexing that many declines have occurred in pristine environments where habitat destruction, introduced predators or pollution have not been implicated.

The decline and disappearance of frogs in Australia is paralleled by losses of amphibians in other parts of the world. This loss is a truly global tragedy, one that scientists can, so far, neither solve nor explain.

The principal aim of this research is to assess the status of a number of critically endangered frogs in the rainforests of eastern Australia. Monitoring of selected species and populations commenced several years ago and volunteers will assist in the ongoing research to determine why the frogs are declining. Monitoring is proactive and involves the close observation of the health of individual frogs so those sick individuals can be sent for veterinary pathology.

An additional aim is to determine the distribution of a fungus, one of the chytrids, which has been implicated in the decline of amphibians in eastern Australia and elsewhere.

Volunteers will be involved in regular systematic monitoring and be introduced to the dilemma of dealing with wild populations that are declining for reasons that are not fully understood.

Travel Types

• Eco Tours
• Environmental Studies
• Photography
• Tours
• Volunteering

Qualifications

No experience is necessary  all you will need is enthusiasm and the desire to make a difference. For over 40 years Earthwatch Institute has pioneered the involvement of ordinary people in peer-reviewed scientific research worldwide. By joining an Earthwatch Expedition, you have a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with some of the worlds rarest animals and visit remote and beautiful locations, while directly supporting conservation science. We offer life enhancing experiences in nearly 50 countries each year, with projects for teens, adults, and families.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

1,995 USD

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Registration fees
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Our volunteers not only contribute essential funds that help to cover the cost of the research, but also, through their inspiration and effort, they provide the people power without which many of our vital projects simply couldn't take place. We are a non-profit organization but accommodation, meals, insurance, training and transport in the field are also included in your contribution cost. As a non-profit organization that supports scientific research, your contribution and airfare costs are usually tax-deductible for U.S. citizens.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people, including students, retirees, families, educators, and anyone seeking an exciting journey that enables them to give back to the environment. Our expeditions have a wide range of activity levels, from hiking intensive to easy expeditions with limited physical activity. There is an Earthwatch expedition out there for everyone!

Age Range

Adult (age 18-90) teams available.

This Program is open to

American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Other

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Scholarships are Available

Very limited fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves

• Other
• Phone/Video Interview

Typically The Application Process Time is

Brief

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement

Our mission is to inspire connections between people and the environment by engaging them in worldwide scientific field research and education. These efforts will promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. We believe it is essential that people participate in solving the environmental challenges we face.

Year Founded

1971