Australia Lesson Activities - Environmental Studies

We arrived at the banks of the Mitchell River in the early afternoon. Our first overcast sky for the trip made the last hour of riding more comfortable, with the moist air and gentle breeze presenting an interesting contrast with the dry, burnt landscape surrounding us.

All of the ground we have covered today, in the fifty kilometers between Sandy Creek and The Mitchell River has shown evidence of recent burning. Trees more than five meters tall are rare and undergrowth is sparse and tough. Open ranging cattle struggle to survive in the harsh conditions, oppressing each green stalk which dares to push its way through the hot, blackened earth.

Burning off is widespread and thorough in the Queensland Outback. Station owners regularly set fire to the bush to subdue weeds and to promote fresh growth. Some native species also benefit from the burning, as they have been adapting since the time when aborigines managed the land, and lit extensive fires throughout the country.

Growth of one such plants, the native grass tree, or “black boy”, can be stunted if it lacks periodical burning. Other trees are reliant on the high temperatures generated by the fires to produce fertile seed.

What a difference as we descended into the river valley and found ourselves in a cool grove of melaleuca, with running water, impressive eroded boulders, and interesting grasses – which although they had been grazed by cattle, were free enough of burning to still have some level of diversity existent.

The Mitchell has two sets of banks: the dry season, in which the river at this time of the year is wholly contained, and the wet season boundary, which is now a sandy, cattle trodden canyon. The latter encompasses large trees, in which debris is deposited while the river is in flood, and displayed high in the treetops when the water level recedes. During these floods, the river is unable to be crossed, and people beyond can be isolated for months at a time.

Although we were making good time over the rough terrain, and had arrived at the river comparatively early in our day, we couldn’t resist the abundant cool clean water and the chance to wash our clothes and bodies. We set up camp, haunted by thoughts of tomorrow morning, when we will have to drag ourselves from this hospitable oasis into terra incognito beyond.

How do the seasons change throughout the year where you live? Ask your parents or teacher why they change, and how it can be winter in the Southern Hemisphere while in the Northern Hemisphere it is summer.

bel

2001 August 2, Thursday. Elizabeth Creek.

After another day of cycling across dry land in 30-35 degree heat, Wrotham Park rose like a mirage on our otherwise barren horizon. Our only sign of civilization for many miles, aside from the trough sheds of hardy Brahman cattle, the station stretches for 1,300,000 acres, and is home to the Burke family.

Surrounding the main homestead is a lush garden area, the contrast of which, when compared to the desert setting, is staggering. Under the shelter of the hundreds of year old mango trees, one could not tell that only fifty yards out, the sandy, cattle trodden earth is as inhospitable as we might imagine the red center to be.

The cultivated area is formally set out, and includes flower beds, vegetables, a greenhouse and a herb garden. A full-time gardener is employed to tend the plot, which helps to feed the thirty staff who work the property, and their families. Mareeba, a few hours drive south of the station, is the closest supply point, and is visited around once per month for restocking.

A menagerie of cats, dogs and pet birds bask in the garden in an interesting co existence. Working dogs and pet dogs of all shapes and sizes intermingle about the yard, playing with each other and with the children of the farm workers.

Water is gathered in a dam for the garden and for waste water, and enough rain is collected each wet season to satisfy the need for fresh drinking water all year round. The garden is an incredible example of the potential of this desolate land to support luxuriant growth with a water supply and a little care.

What kind of plant life surrounds your home? Who planted it there? Have your family ever grown their own food in your garden? What would grow where you live if people had never settled there?

Wrotham Park
bel

August 8, 2001

Today’s ride was our first long section of bitumen (pavement) and we saw and noticed a very big difference in what was going on around us. We found that a seemingly dead and solid piece of ground alters the surroundings very much!

During the Wet season here in northern Queensland, massive amounts of water are poured down onto the ground. When rain hits the road, it flows off, whereas when rain hits the ground it seeps in. Along the roadside, standing water will remain for longer periods of time than out in the bush. Also, potholes and low spots in the bitumen act as rain catches as well. This allows new growth of tender vegetation that attracts native species that will learn to depend on the availability of green. These animals in turn become victims of more frequent encounters with vehicles (crashes). Kangaroos, wallabies, small rodents and other herbivores are these victims. Scavengers, such as crows and ravens, wild dogs, foxes and others feed on the carcasses. They too become victims and become part of the ongoing cycle of man’s interaction with his/her surrounding environment.

Suggested learning activities: can you find any areas around your hometown where human interaction with the environment has affected your local flora and fauna? Examples: Birds nesting under bridges, dams on lakes and rivers affecting fish migration, rodents becoming dependent on humans’ litter…Can you think of any?

By, April and Crister

2001 August 9, Thursday. Gulf Developmental Road.

Upon emerging from the back roads, we noticed considerable change not only of the road surface, but also of the surrounding farmland. Evenly grazed native grassland gave way to a different type of country, littered with vicious thorns, corkscrew seeds, and sticky burrs. And while the former might not have been quite what one would call lush pasturage, it was enough to see a difference that was saddening. (Not to mention unmerciful on our bike tubes.)

There is more than chance occurrence to account for the coincidence of the unkempt land and the major road. The rapid and frequent passing of traffic along the broad sealed road spreads seed (and plant disease) speedily. Cow head thorns will pervade a car tyre, and travel in just a few hours into areas where cattle walking and passing seed from beast to beast would take weeks or months to infiltrate. These types of grasses have adapted to dispersal by sticking to animal fur and piercing surface flesh, and are pitiless in the pursuit of any bare ground on which to take hold.

Community Landcare seems an impossible task in this environment. Weed management programs are out of the question, as none of the land is being used for horticulture, and none is being farmed intensively. Landcare as it exists out here appears to be restricted to the poisoning of pest animals – including natives - with 10-80, and the encouragement of pleasure shooters to hunt feral animals. These include the ever-present wild pigs, as well as rabbits, foxes, horses, and dingoes. Wild horses can travel enormous distances, spreading disease in domestic stock. One gentleman we spoke to out here told of how he was asked by landowners to shoot any brumbies he encountered, because they carried a disease similar to conjunctivitis.

While on the surface the landscape appears largely unproductive, the sheer volume of road kill that has confronted us during our time on the Developmental Road attests to the fact of there being an immense wild ecosystem in Cape York. The most concerted efforts of the relatively tiny station owners, and the people of settlements such as Georgetown, are dwarfed in the magnitude of untamed land out here. It becomes apparent that far north Queensland will remain an unbridled frontier for many decades to come.

bel

2001 August 13, Monday. Between the Gulf Developmental Road and Flinders Highway, South of Malpas Station.

Lately, our camps have been little mirrors of one another. Although we are cycling strong, we set up each camp in country which looks like the one we struck that morning. It has been simple to settle into a daily routine, without having to deal with the unpredictable environmental factors we faced earlier in the trip, as we passed through the Great Dividing Range. The tracks are now long and straight, with little alteration in direction or altitude.

The stunted box eucalypts have petered out entirely, giving way to sparse, scrubby wattles and tea trees – the sole shade protection for what is almost the only other plant which is able to grow here – spinifex grass. Their fine stems reach long and still from the hot sand, breaking suddenly into life and sound only when an animal, roused by the passing cyclists, disturbs their mute calm.

Hearing movement in the spinifex, we have looked to the rustle of undergrowth to find wild pigs, birds, wallabies, cattle, and, more recently, emu. During my time in Queensland, I have also seen, in the wild, the following animals:

Skink Sand fly Tortoise Toad Jabiru
Echidna Cassowary Possum Mantis Kangaroo
Wildcat Jacana Crocodile Gecko Rat
Tree frog Mosquito Fish Fox Spider
Snake Brolga Locust Parrot Wild dog

How far do you need to travel from your home before the landscape changes? Does one type of tree predominate, or is there a mixture? Are there mountains, forests, plains, beaches, desert, or grasslands close to your home?

Write down all of the animals which live in your area – you might be surprised just how many you can list. Which animals share the same type of environment?

bel

Environment
August 14, 2001

There’s a lot of great animal species to see in Australia, obviously. Many animals that you are familiar with can only be found here. These are animals like the cockatoos, koalas and kangaroos. There are many more animals that you may not be so familiar with like the emu, the tasmanian devil and the echidna. Yes, Australia is blessed with great animals. Sadly, though, there are many animals that are endangered or have succumbed to extinction. In fact, Australia has the highest rate of extinction of mammalian species in the world (National Geographic, July 2000).

Since the first European settlement in 1788, many mammals have disappeared from the landscape. In the 1800s, the Darling Downs Hopping Mouse, King Island Emu, Pig-Footed Bandicoot and Eastern Hare Wallaby, among others, were lost to the planet. Last century saw the loss of the Tasmanian Tiger, Desert Bandicoot and Desert Rat Kangaroo.

What made them all die? Growth of the human population in this country was certainly one contributing factor. Land alteration for agriculture, cattle grazing and human habitation decreased or altogether destroyed the type of environment that these animals needed to survive. Europeans also introduced many animals to the country, including feral cats and foxes which became predators for the native animals. It is also speculated that the water cycle may also be partly to blame. Some small mammals in the tropics, for instance, are particularly susceptible to long periods of drought.

Suggested Learning Activity: Find out about animals that are endangered in your community or country. Why are they endangered? What can you do to help stop the threats against them?

2001 August 15, Wednesday. Holy Joe Creek.

As the team passes through the clear flat land in our little cluster, we are one of a system of little communities of humans and other animals which inhabit, temporarily or otherwise, this area. From the small family groups of kangaroos, to flocks of hundreds of rose-breasted cockatoos, most creatures belong to some kind of community.

The sense of security in large gatherings is instinctual - there is safety in numbers – and birds of a feather flock together. Whether the animals stay in one place throughout the year, or are nomadic, following available food sources and temperate weather, you will usually find several of a species wherever you can find one.
Cockatoos set out sentinels to keep watch for each other at drinking time, giving loud alarm cries at any mysterious approach, which send disorderly coveys into flight. Crowds of fifteen or so apostle birds team up to intimidate other animals and birds in defense of good feeding grounds and water sources.

Camping near water whenever possible, we have had a parade of animals which come to drink each morning and evening. Each has their appointed time, and one species occupies the waterhole for only the few minutes it takes to drink, then moves away without disturbing the drinkers next in line. These parades have included kangaroos, wild pigs, flocks of birds, and domestic cattle.

Each community is a cluster of family groups, and every creature has something to gain through being a part of one, by way of food source, security, breeding, warmth, and learning from one another.

Write a list of the different things that you can benefit from by being a member of a community. Which of these do you have in common with other animals you can think of? Which of these are unique to humans? Can you think of something that is unique to your own community?

bel

2001 August 19, Sunday. Mount Isa.

Dromedaries (one-humped camels) were originally brought here from Arabia, the first major group being introduced specifically for the Burke and Wills expedition. By the late 1860s they were being imported in large numbers, and were used to carry supplies into arid regions. Mail and provisions reached Alice Springs, and other remote stations and communities, by camel strings. When the telegraph line was constructed from Adelaide to Darwin, dromedaries were used to transport the pylons needed. People from western Asia, broadly referred to as Afghans, were brought to manage the animals.

As settlement advanced, and road and rail transport reached the outback, people no longer required their camels, and released them to fend for themselves. The Arabian camels were well suited to the desolate environment, so similar to their native Sahara, and have thrived ever since.

Today, up to 100 000 feral camels roam the desert regions of Australia, the only country in the world which is inhabited by wild dromedaries. They are soft-footed herbivores, do not directly threaten native animals, and therefore have less impact on their environment than most feral species.

Dromedaries have also become a point of interest for tourists, and camel farms have emerged to supply animals for tour companies, racing, live export, three abattoirs in Alice Springs, and wool production. Camel milk can last for six months without refrigeration or preservatives. Unlike the warm furry coats of most animals, the dromedary’s thick hair provides insulation against the sun’s heat.

They are a low maintenance herd, able to extract nourishment from the hardest and driest of desert vegetation, and capable of surviving for long periods without drinking. During the 1870s, the explorer Ernest Giles, who led expeditions into the scorching desert region to the south west of Alice Springs, travelled 354 kilometres in eight days, without watering his fully laden beasts. In 1891, another camel expedition travelled more than eight hundred kilometres in one month.

Dromedaries have adapted amazingly to what is to human beings a barren and hostile land. What other animals can you think of which have adapted similarly to life in a desert? What animals have adapted well to other environments, which are inhospitable to us? Think about ice, jungle, or the ocean. What happens when an animal is taken from an environment to which it has adapted? Think about why different animals inhabit different parts of the earth.

bel

2001 August 21, Tuesday. North Moonah Creek.

Wonderfully relieved to escape the dirty smoky city, we braved the heat and set out at midday toward Dajarra, on the Diamantina Road. Once more plagued by the tube-hungry thorns that line the more developed roads, we slowly released ourselves from the three-night grip in which the town had trapped us.

What a contrast we found! Little over forty kilometres from the city, the screeches of noisy mynas and grating calls of apostle birds, were replaced by the chatter of little lory parrots. The mess of the city attracts feral birds, rodents, and other animals who thrive in the filth left by humans, and which multiply unreservedly under the protection and stability offered by urban sprawl. The immediately noticeable difference was heartening, even by the time we stopped for stretching and to fix the day’s first flat tyre.

By the time we made camp, the dramatic change in environment from chaotic tangle to unmitigated peace had left us at one of the very best dry sites we have been lucky enough to have stayed at during the entire trip. This sweeping bend in North Moonah Creek, though it has no water, is carpeted with smoothed stones, (lovely for we who have seen more than enough dust and sand) and prettily lined with the smooth white trunks of river gums.

We make camp by a river even when there is no water, because the best (and sometimes the only) shade trees grow on the banks, where the water table is high enough for trees to reach, and to grow strong and tall. Our camp meeting had a superb accompaniment - the song of mud larks. An exquisite sound at the best of times, it was music to our ears after having been invariably within earshot of the drone of the mining works day and night for the past few days.

A sliver of cradle moon sunk below the horizon while twilight yet lingered, and nightfall came alive with a glittering dome of southern sky. There are no dogs to lick us, no lights of the town to challenge the sky, and no constant noise save the crackle of our campfire. Peace at last.

Sit quietly in your house for a minute and make a list of all the sounds you can hear. Can you hear a refrigerator, a television, your family members, pets, or the traffic outside? Now sit in a garden – a peaceful place in your back yard or school grounds will do – and make another list of sounds. How do your two lists compare? Sit or lie and relax a while in the garden. How do you feel when you return to a noisy place?

bel

2001 August 23, Thursday. Two kilometres over the Queensland border in to the Northern Territory. Six hundred kilometres from Alice Springs, on the Plenty Highway.

“Who had goanna for dinner last night?” Every child’s hand shot up in the affirmative. It was nearly midday at the Urandangi Primary School, an eight-child, one-teacher set up. The school lies just outside the township, which consists of one combination pub / general store, and a population of fourteen people.

Expedition 360 provided the days major highlight in the tiny community, and while the children were at first shy, Crister’s impressive bicycle tricks soon brought them out of their shells, and they took us on a tour of their school grounds, including bush bananas and witchety grubs. Although English is not the first language of the children, we found they spoke and understood it well after overcoming their initial timidity.

Telling us about their life at home, we were astonished to hear that their families still use traditional hunting and gathering techniques to provide a large proportion of their household’s food needs. One six year old girl had the knowledge and skills to survive in the bush without stores for food, or help from anyone else.

Goannas, a species of lizard which includes the second largest in the world, make a favourite meal of the local people. Also known as monitor lizards, they are thought to have evolved from the Pleistocene “mega-goanna”, which reached a length of five metres, and weighed around one thousand kilograms.

The goannas of today grow up to two metres at most, and fat ones the size of a nine or ten-year-old child are not uncommon. Junior, a student from Urandangi told us how together his family had eaten a goanna as big as himself in just one day. Their people also catch yellow-bellies (fish), eat bush fruits, and hunt kangaroos for meat.

Suggested learning activities: Find out where the foods you eat come from. Why do people where you live eat the foods they do? How much of your family’s food is grown / raised / manufactured near where you live? How much comes from other places around the continent? How much is imported from other countries? Can you think of some other people around the world, who would eat certain foods because they occur naturally in the environment in which they live?

bel

Environmental Studies – termites

FOOD CHAINS

Looking at a termite mound above the ground in this vast desert country may seem as though the food chain of which the termites are a part is quite simple. Yet, as we have discovered, the system is actually quite complex.

Termites feed predominantly on the cellulose (plant fibre) in spinifex (a hardy type of desert grass, which thrives in dry, desolate places where few other plants can). Spinifex is so unappetising to almost all other herbivores that termites face little competition for it as a sustainable food source.

The animals that in turn feed on termites are in abundance; the barking spider and certain insect eating birds such as the mud lark. Further up the chain, lizards feed on barking spiders and they in turn provide a food source for larger lizards and birds of prey such as eagles and owls. The absence of mammals in such inhospitable areas means lizards are relatively high up in the food chain.

Suggested learning activities:
- research the difference between ants and termites.
- look at ants/termites in your area. What do they predate upon? What predates upon them? Draw a diagram to illustrate your answer.
- look at the types of structures the ants/termites in your area build to live in. How are they similar and/or different to the termite mound in the photo of the general update.

Feed your termites cellulose. Joshua.