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shea's adventure to Australia

Day 3 of my adventure

Friday, May 29, 2009

Wow today was really cool. We went to the Healesville Sanctuary. I learned that sugar gliders babies are so small that they are half the size of a grain of rice. While we also there we watched an autopsy on a dead kangaroo. It was sooo cool but it smelled so bad. I really wish I could live here there's so much to see but so little time. Every thing here is so magical and breath taking every
place that we go all the things that we see is like a 2 week dream that doesn't want to end. I am afraid that I will take advantage of every thing and just speed through things with out taking it all
in and enjoying this once in a life time experience. I'm learning so much I don't know how to describe all the things I'm learning.

A Day in the Rain Forest

Thursday, May 28, 2009

(Tonight’s blog post was a group effort. All students collaborated to create the post.)

There was a spiral road that never seemed to end. After three hours on the bus, one of our teachers even got sick. (And no – it was not Mrs. Jensen.) On the way to the rain forest we got to see our first wild koalas in the trees along side the road.

After arriving at Otway Fly, it was fun getting our hands dirty as we each planted two trees, one Myrtle Beech and one Mountain Ash.

The Mountain Ash tree is the second largest tree in the world. It can grow up to 150 meters in height. You can tell how old a Mountain Ash tree is by measuring its diameter at about chest high. For every centimeter it is one year old.

The moss grows on the south side of the trees because it avoids the sunlight. This was surprising to us because back home it grows on the north side of trees.

Some of the trees in the rainforest are shaped like a boomerang because another tree has blocked its sunlight. It curves to find the sunlight. This movement of the tree was interesting. The aborigines would make their own tools out of trees, mollusk and kangaroo tail.

We also learned that there are lots of threats to the rainforest including people cutting trees. In just one minute about 10 regular-sized football fields of Amazon rain forest is cut down. Realizing how much forest this actually is, it seems that it could all be destroyed in a matter of years. Without our rainforest, we would have less oxygen and water…both are necessary for life. Yesterday we learned about many endangered frogs. They are endangered because their habitat is being destroyed, due to deforestation.

We walked up the Otway Fly, which was 47 meters high. We got to see a great view of the rain forest below. The rain forest gets 2 meters of rainfall a year. While in the rain forest we got to drink some of the fresh creek water. We were surprised at how clean this water was.

Our second day in Australia was successful. Although it was raining most of our time in the “rain forest” we were still able to soak up some great information along with all the water.

a life changing a event

Thursday, May 14, 2009

wahoo. i am going to australia what a life changing event for me 
i am looking forward to so many things like snorkeling in the great 
barrier reef and zip lining and spending the night in an aquarium.  but i am a little nervous about forgetting some thing important.   

Essential Programs Details

Duration 14 days
When May 25th - June 7th, 2009
Focus Marine Biology
Conservation/Wildlife
Aboriginal Culture