Fieldwork

Fieldwork is a major component of our biological sciences units. As a student, conducting research and trials outside of the laboratory can enhance your appreciation of the natural world and provide valuable experience as a scientist Below is a brief outline of the field camps and excursions that we offer to students enrolled in our majors.

BOTANICAL FIELDWORK AT LAKE MOUNTAIN

Lake Mountain is a Victorian alpine area that is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, and the perfect landscape to explore environmental influences on vegetation, and environmental stresses and plant adaptation. Against the beautiful backdrop of the Yarra Ranges national park, students enrolled in Biology of Australian Vegetation will examine the evolutionary history of the Australian vegetation and flora and look at the roles climate, soil, disturbance and animals play in shaping this diverse alpine environment.

TEMPERATE MARINE FIELDWORK AT QUEENSCLIFF

To complete the practical work requirement of Marine Biology you may spend a week in February at the Queenscliff Marine Station. Working with staff in small project groups, you will have the opportunity to investigate various aspects of marine plant and animal biology. Habitats investigated are mainly intertidal and shallow subtidal shore environments.

TROPICAL TERRESTRIAL FIELDWORK IN BORNEO

Students enrolled in Tropical Terrestrial Biology will travel to the heart of the jungles of Borneo, where you will explore tropical habitats in the Gunung Mulu National Park including complex and beautiful ecological systems. The 140 million-year-old Borneo rainforest is home to unique and fragile ecosystems and is one of the only remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean orangutan. This field trip will give hands on insight into the importance of conservation, management, climate, nutrient cycling, disturbance, and succession on tropical plants and animal ecology. Students will also carry out their own research.

ECOLOGICAL AND BIODIVERSITY FIELDWORK IN VICTORIA

The School has a strong commitment to training field ecologists. Practical work in second year Ecology and Biodiversity is mainly carried out during field excursions. Our ecology students conduct practical work during two day-long field trips. At Flinders, on the Mornington Peninsula, students investigate rocky intertidal shore ecology in detail. A second trip investigates forest structure and composition in the Dandenong Ranges National Park.