summer session I

Australia

Rainforests of New Zealand and Australia

At A Glance

04 Weeks | 04 Credits
Summer 2021

May 31 - Jun 30

Closed

Summer 2022

Jun 6 - Jul 6

Open

Prerequisites

None

Sample Itinerary
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Rainforests of New Zealand and Australia

New Zealand & North Queensland, Australia

SUMMER 2021 PROGRAM UPDATE: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, SFS has decided to suspend summer programs that operate in more than one country. For this reason, this program has been suspended for Summer 2021 as it includes program travel to New Zealand. SFS will resume offering this program in Summer 2022. Check out a list of other available Summer 2021 programs here.

 
Rainforests are shrinking, but hope is not lost. In this two-country program, you’ll learn how environmental and social factors have contributed to forest fragmentation in the spectacular, once-vast rainforests of Australia and New Zealand. Travel between the two countries to compare endangered species management practices, natural resource use in indigenous communities, and approaches to ecosystem restoration.

  • Learn about the Māori people’s connection with nature as you explore the ancient podocarp and Kauri forests of northern New Zealand which contain trees estimated to be more than 2,000 years olds

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‌Academics

This academically rigorous program follows a six-day/week schedule. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to help students actively discover and understand the complexities of environmental, social, and economic issues in Australia and New Zealand. Read more about the SFS program model.

Major academic themes include:

  • Two-country comparison
  • Forest ecosystems
  • Natural resource management
  • Threatened species conservation
  • Human development impacts
  • Indigenous knowledge and histories

Courses

On the Rainforests of New Zealand and Australia program, you will take one 4-credit course. This course is participatory in nature and is designed to foster inquiry and active learning combining lectures, field exercises, assignments, and tests. This course is taught in English.

Click on the course to view a description and download the syllabus

SFS 3540 Rainforest Management Studies 4 credits

Core Skills

You will gain practical skills in the field such as: GIS use and applications, species identification and population monitoring, forest survey methods, and quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.

Field Sites

You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include primary/old-growth rainforests, Indigenous protected areas, podocarp and Kauri forests of northern New Zealand, rainforest restoration projects, fruit farms and other agricultural sites, and an eco-lodge in the rainforest.

Resources

A Summer with SFS!

Take back-to-back summer sessions and get the hands-on learning and skill-building experiences of an internship, while also going off the beaten path and exploring the world. Each summer session focuses on a different topic, and you’ll have time to travel independently between sessions. Receive a $1,000 discount on your second session (effective for Summer 2020).

RECOMMENDED PROGRAM COMBO
Watersheds of the Wet Tropics (Australia Summer II)

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All program components are subject to change.

‌Where You'll Be Living

In Australia, at the end of a narrow, winding road, in the middle of a lush rainforest, lies the field station, a 153-acre property surrounded by protected World Heritage forests and the nearby town of Yungaburra 20 minutes away. For the New Zealand expedition, the group will stay in a variety of housing including a city-based hostel in Auckland, a traditional Māori marae, and area lodges. The Australia Center is described below:

  • Group living in 8-person cabins
  • Main building with classroom, lab, and study spaces
  • Student lounge with scenic porch views
  • Covered outdoor dining area, on-site cooking staff
  • Volleyball and extensive trail network for hiking
  • Swimming and running trails a nearby Crater Lake

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