Earthwatch and CSIRO are training rainforest managers and students from south-east Asia.

Earthwatch and CSIRO: involving volunteers in rainforest research

Earthwatch organises for international volunteers to visit Queensland’s tropical rainforests and assist with fieldwork for CSIRO research projects.

• 5 June 2007 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Background
• Rainforests of northern Australia
• Volunteers

Background

The Earthwatch Institute is an international non-profit organisation that supports scientific field research and education with the aim of promoting sustainable conservation of the world's resources and cultural heritage.

For many years, Earthwatch has had a close and active partnership with CSIRO's Tropical Forest Research Centre.

The Rainforest to Reef initiative is one of Earthwatch’s five major conservation research programs worldwide. The initiative provides both international and local volunteers and financial support for conservation orientated scientific field research in North Queensland.

Rainforests of northern Australia

One project supported by the Rainforest to Reef initiative is Rainforests of Northern Australia based at CSIRO's Tropical Forest Research Centre.

This project is lead by CSIRO's Dr David Westcott and Dr Dan Metcalfe.

Volunteers

Earthwatch volunteers assist with the field component of this study by exploring the role of fruit eating animals in the dispersal of rainforest seeds within the landscape.

The volunteers observe the feeding habits of a variety of species of birds and mammals in the field and in captivity. The data are compiled into a computer model to predict the long-term consequences of forest fragmentation and species decline in the region.

Earthwatch and CSIRO also run training expeditions for rainforest managers and science students from south-east Asia.

Find out more about the work of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.