education

Tertiary Eucalypt Forest

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Second Nature Education offers an amazing variety of educational and experiential programs to a variety of eucalypt and melaleuca forest locations in: Queensland and New South Wales; throughout Australia; and overseas

All our programs are tailored to support a chosen unit of study or as specifically requested by our clients.

What we provide

  • Award-winning educators/ facilitators
  • Itineraries and Flyers
  • Curriculum-based work-booklets
  • All relevant equipment (supplying up to 150x students per session)
  • Example assessment tasks
  • Pre/Post Excursion Activities (usually a PPP)
  • Risk Assessment (location specific)
  • Variety of field-work locations (where available)
  • Accommodation options (we provide quotes to utilise the most affordable and most appropriate accommodation to suit your needs)
  • Catering options (we provide quotes to utilise our own in-house catering service for every excursion (where available) and/or catering through a third-party provider

Tertiary (TAFE/University) Programs

Our Tertiary Education programs have been developed for specific units of study within a variety of Courses (e.g. Botany, Ecology, Vertebrate Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Education etc.). We can also tailor programs upon request. By participating in a “Eucalypt Forest” program, students gain a comprehensive understanding and awareness of the importance of eucalypt forest ecosystems through direct interaction with the natural environment (excursions) or through a virtual eucalypt forest investigation (incursions).

Trip Overview

All Tertiary in-class presentations and field trips to eucalypt or melaleuca forests come with complimentary assessable work-booklets, which are tailored to the requirements of an institution. Our field trips allow for an in-depth, methodical and structured investigation of eucalypt forest environments. Alternatively, virtual eucalypt forest investigations allow students who are unable to participate in a field trip to gain a basic understanding of eucalypt forest ecosystems through a well-designed in-class presentation.

Highlights

  • Bushwalking over mountains covered in beautiful Eucalyptus trees!
  • Learning about the rock units that make up a mountain
  • Finding fossils in mudstone and shale!
  • Tasting bush tucker
  • Biodiversity surveys
  • Scientific equipment use (anemometers/barometers/thermometers etc.)
  • Map-reading/comprehension
  • Identification using age-appropriate keys
  • Use of binoculars e.g. bird watching
  • Looking for additional evidence of wildlife (e.g. scratches from the claws of a monitor)!
  • Identifying adaptations of eucalypt forest trees (e.g. for fire/reproduction)
  • Talking to a National Park Ranger!

More Information

Inclusions

Excursions

  • Guided walk through the eucalypt forest
  • Discussion of zoning and rock layers at a lookout.
  • Plant or animal identification activity
  • “Magic spot” quiet reflection and field sketch
  • Passing around of propagules and discussion of how they work
  • Presentation on human impacts (observable in the natural environment)
  • Field work (quadrat or transect studies)

Incursions

  • An age-appropriate interactive PowerPoint presentation
  • Investigation of eucalypt forest adaptations using samples taken from a living ecosystem
  • Testing soil pH using samples taken from a living ecosystem
  • Bird and plant identification activities
  • Active “Food Chains and Food Webs” game
  • Quiz (with prizes!) to assess comprehension
Educational Outcomes
  • Awareness and knowledge of eucalypt forests
  • Appreciation for the diversity of eucalypt forest organisms
  • A basic understanding of how eucalypt forest systems work including knowledge of food chains/webs and habitats
  • Awareness of the impacts of human activities on eucalypt forests both locally and globally
  • Knowledge of local and largescale environmental issues affecting eucalypt forests including habitat destruction, overharvesting, invasive species, habitat fragmentation and pollution
  • Learning of sustainable behaviours that minimise these issues
  • A sense of connection to and feeling of stewardship towards Australia’s eucalypt forests
  • An understanding of the complex processes involved in managing our eucalypt forests in a sustainable manner.
Itinerary

Below is an example itinerary for a 1-day “Eucalypt Forest” excursion. All excursions packages include the necessary work booklets and equipment.

09:00 Tour group pick- Second Nature have a fleet of vehicles available to cater for any number of passengers (within reason). We can provide transport to and from institutions and airports
09:45 Arrive at destination for Activity session 1 Eucalypt forests thrive in the dry, fire-prone conditions of a windward mountain face. As such, your eucalypt forests often coexist with a landform rich in geological history. During this activity, you will examine the rock layers visible at an exposed cliff face. The guides will explain how these rocks provide a history of the local area and its past environmental conditions.
10:45 Morning tea
11:00 Activity Session 2 Students will use classification guides provided to identify trees and animals of the forest. They will explore the forest for other evidence of wildlife, including nocturnal animals. The guides will explain how all of these organisms interact in a web of feeding relationships.
12:00 Lunch at destination Great areas to take a break and enjoy the scenery
13:00 Activity Session 3 Line transects and quadrat surveys are frequently utilised by field scientists to monitor how an area changes over time. During this activity, students will be divided into groups to assess an area using techniques explained by our guides. The activity will involve taking measurements of physical factors using supplied equipment and recording results in a data collection table. This is excellent hands on experience in the field!
14:00 Visit Lookout Walk along a bush track to reach a lookout that stretches over an underlying valley. There will be a great photo opportunity at the top!
14:30 Depart destination, back to institution or airport
15:00 Arrive back at institution or airport when required

 

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