SFS AUSTRALIA: RAINFOREST TO REEF
(SEMESTER)
PROGRAM DETAILS
Terms | Fall, Spring
Credits | 16 semester-hour credits
Prerequisites | One semester of college-level ecology, biology, or environmental studies/science | 2.7 GPA | 18 years of age
Application Deadline| Fall: May 1st. Spring: Nov 1st. Early applications encouraged!
OVERVIEW
In northern Queensland, the Wet Tropics rainforest presses in with towering figs, curtain-like vines, and a chorus of unseen birds. Students spend much of their semester here, tracking elusive marsupials, measuring bird populations by call, and conducting nocturnal spotlighting to reveal hidden biodiversity. At night, surveys often reveal frog calls from hidden pools, while sightings of cassowaries underscore both the vulnerability and persistence of rainforest species. Students also step briefly into the outback and reef, glimpsing how fragmented ecosystems still link together. Every survey, spotlight, and data sheet contributes to a story still unfolding in one of the world’s most vibrant yet pressured ecosystems.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
→ Survey Atherton Tablelands forest-to-savanna transitions with GPS plots and plant ID, linking soil chemistry, fire history, and habitat change.
→ Assess coral cover and reef fish populations on snorkel surveys, then prepare site-specific environmental impact assessments with actionable recommendations.
→ Restore degraded riparian corridors alongside local partners, collect spatial data for long-term revegetation databases, and monitor wildlife recolonization patterns.
→ Learn from and integrate Traditional Owner knowledge on land, agriculture, and water into cross-cultural conservation strategies that navigate ongoing policy tensions.
→ Conduct Directed Research: frame a stakeholder-driven question, collect and analyze field data with faculty guidance, and present actionable findings to local partners.
LOCATION
Students live and study at the SFS Center for Rainforest Studies. Our Center lies at the end of a narrow, winding road in the middle of a lush rainforest.
The 153-acre property is surrounded by protected World Heritage forests, and you can see incredible wildlife from the front steps of your cabin. Nearby Yungaburra and Cairns provide the occasional return to civilization.
RESEARCH THEMES
- Climate Change
- Rainforest Ecology and Conservation
- Threatened Species Conservation
- Development and Settlement in the Rainforest
- Aboriginal Ecotourism
- Forest Ecotones
- Habitat Restoration
- Animal Behavior
CORE SKILLS
- GIS
- Species Identification and Population Monitoring
- Forest Survey Methods
- Citizen Science Protocols
- Research Design and Implementation
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Research Presentation
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