Explore an Ancient Land … Explore Australia!

RECM / FOR 395: Sustaining Human Societies and Natural Environments – 6 Credits May 11 – June 5, 2008

Again this summer, University of Montana students can experience the amazing landscapes and wonderful people of North Queensland, Australia. It’s a pleasantly warm and stable time of the year to hike in lush green rainforests, explore the remote Outback, and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. This 6 credit course offers the chance to visit some extraordinary natural environments, study the sustainable use of local resources, and interact with the local and Aboriginal peoples of Australia.

From unspoilt beaches, tropical rainforest, rugged mountain ranges and vast tracts of desert, Australia is a country of contrast. As the Australian landmass separated from the other continents over 50 million years ago, indigenous animals have developed a range of individual and unusual characteristics in a unique habitat. The result is a wealth of wildlife not found anywhere else in the world. In addition, Australia's ocean area contains one of the greatest arrays of marine biodiversity on earth.

We use an experiential education approach where students spend about a third of our time in the classroom and two-thirds traveling the stunning national parks, forests, wildlife reserves, coastlines, and islands of North Queensland. We start with a bit under a week on Magnetic Island, just offshore from the tropical city of Townsville, taking lectures from the faculty of the James Cook University. Then, it’s out to go snorkel and explore the marine diversity of the Great Barrier Reef; investigate natural resource management, ecotourism and farming practices in the Outback; learn about Aboriginal culture and history through interactions with indigenous communities; and hike through the tropical rainforest of the Daintree World Heritage Area to study the diverse wildlife and flora of Australia.

This program uses the theme of sustainable development to explore the relationship between people and their natural environment. In particular, we focus on the flora, fauna, and ecological processes of rainforest, outback woodlands, and reef ecosystems, as well as issues of coastal development, conservation management, agriculture, World Heritage, global climate change, and Aboriginal history and traditional use of resources. The course is suitable for all majors, led by University of Montana faculty, and counts towards Davidson Honors College requirements.

About the Instructors

Dr. Kari Gunderson teaches courses for the Wilderness Management Distance Education Program, College of Forestry and Conservation and the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center. She taught wilderness field studies for Wildland Studies, San Francisco State University, and currently teaches a two-week "Winter Wilderness Field Studies" course for the Wilderness Institute, University of Montana. Kari also works as a field-based wilderness manager in the Mission Mountains Wilderness in northwestern Montana and has held this position for 28 years.

Jack Grant has lived and worked in north Queensland for the past twenty years, where he is a freelance ecologist and educator. His background is in zoology, with a B.Sc. from University College Dublin and a Ph.D. from the Australian National University. He teaches college level field courses on the ecology of northern Australian forests and woodlands, and has consulted to the Queensland government and a range of private companies on fauna surveys and population surveys of endangered species such as the Northern Bettong.

Guest lectures from Australian government agencies (such as Queensland National Parks & Wildlife Service), local members of the Kuku Yalanji tribe, environmental non-profits, the tourism industry and faculty from James Cook University all help us understand the complexities of sustainable development.

Registration Information

The program cost is $4,360, which includes:

• tuition for 6 upper-division credits (with out-of-state students paying the same as in-state students), and
• a program fee (which covers accommodation at hostels and motels, group activities and excursions, emergency and international health insurance, in-country transportation, and some meals).

Airfare is not included, but an optional group airfare will be available from Los Angeles. Although the deadline for applications has passed, there may be last minute space made available. Please inquire. Application forms can be found on this website. More information about this program (including example itineraries and syllabi) can be found at auip.com

Interested students with specific questions can contact our office: studyabroad@cfc.umt.edu or Professor Bill Borrie at bill.borrie@umontana.edu