summer session I

Australia

Rainforests of Australia

At A Glance

04 Weeks | 04 Credits
Summer 2023

Jun 2 - Jul 2

Open

Prerequisites

None

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Rainforests of Australia

North Queensland, Australia

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

Application deadlines:
Summer 1 – April 1

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Program Costs & Financial Aid

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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. Read more about the SFS program model.

Major academic themes include:

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

Courses

On the Rainforests of 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 3262 Rainforests of Australia 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, 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 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.

RECOMMENDED PROGRAM COMBO
Marsupials of the Ancient Rainforest (Australia Summer II)

Check it out
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. At the Australia Center you can expect:

  • 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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