Australia – Human Impacts on the Environment

Bree Orchard

Education Abroad

 

During this STEP Signature Project, I traveled to several different locations within North Queensland, Australia such as Hidden Valley, Magnetic Island, Chillagoe, and Port Douglas just to name a few.  Activities consisted of rainforest walks, hiking, visiting wildlife habitats, and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.

In regards to transformation, I truly surprised myself when it came to certain activities.  I was constantly being challenged and forced out of my comfort zone.  I knew that if I had gone to Australia on my own time, I would not have done half the things we did on the trip.  Moreover, I feel that I gained more of an open mind and am less likely to make assumptions about people before getting to know them.  We met so many people with many different backgrounds and I truly learned so much.  Because this was an environmental science credit, I gained a deeper appreciation for the earth and want to strive to make a positive impact on it.  Many people we met had backgrounds that had the same passion and most, if not all, lived extremely sustainable lives.  Seeing this really drives me to change my lifestyle up a bit and recycle more, conserve more, and educate others about these topics.

When we first arrived in Australia, we went to a place called Crystal Creek where we were introduced to a few different species of animals and given a safety talk on the dangerous wildlife that lived nearby.  Snakes, of course, were discussed and we were given a brief overview of the venomous snakes to watch out for.  As this discussion progressed, a small black snake slithered through our group.  As it turns out, it was a red-bellied black snake; it was venomous.  I am absolutely terrified of snakes, venomous or not.  We had been in Australia for an hour and had already seen a venomous snake; I was worried.  Prior to the trip, I knew a lot of venomous snakes inhabited Australia, but I did not expect to see one on the very first day.  This set the precedent for what the trip was going to be like: way out of my comfort zone.

Later in the week, we went on a rainforest hike where we were told there were more plants that were likely to kill us than animals.  Different species of trees and other plants were discussed and we were repeatedly told to not touch a thing.  I was constantly looking down and all around me to ensure that I was not going to encounter a snake or any other wildlife that could do some damage.  The following day, we went on a hike to Wallaman Falls: the largest sheer-drop waterfall in the southern hemisphere (879 feet).  The falls were absolutely stunning, but the hike to get to and from them was not the greatest.  The “pathway” was essentially vertical.  Going down wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t easy.  However, getting back to the top was 100 times worse.  It was extremely hot and humid and the hike was straight up.  There were a few times where I thought I was going to have to stop for an extended period of time or just throw up.  Nevertheless, I pushed through and was able to finish the hike without stopping, vomiting, or passing out.  It took me awhile to cool down, but once I did, I felt great!  I was so happy with myself because hiking really isn’t my thing; but, it was totally worth it.

Another major event that took place was during our time on the Great Barrier Reef.  We had countless lectures on human impacts on the environment and how every little thing we do matters.  When we finally got to snorkel/scuba dive on the reef, we did a project where we identified different fish/wildlife species and counted how many of each were in the locations we were transecting.  We discussed the importance each species had on the ecosystem within the reef and how conserving them was dire.  I was already extremely passionate about the environment, but after learning more details and experiencing the reef first-hand, this passion increased even more.  I learned a tremendous amount of information about pollution and how if we don’t start making changes, there will be more plastic in the world’s oceans than fish.  In addition to this, a major theme throughout lectures and discussions was that of climate change.  It is a huge issue the world is facing today and we all need to work together and do things to make positive impacts instead of negative.

As a result of this trip, I feel that I have grown tremendously as a person.  Traveling the world has always been a dream of mine and I believe that it benefits everyone.  Gaining insight on cultures different from my own helps me strengthen my perspective on the world as a whole and this trip aided in that process.  Having only been out of the country a handful of times, my desire to travel has only increased.  I want to go to even more places now and learn even more about the multitude of cultures there are to learn about.  I believe this will make me a more well-rounded person in general which could help me be a more competitive candidate for jobs or careers in the future because I will have gained cultural experiences that other people may not have had the opportunity to do.  Because this was environmental-based, I want to be more conscious of the activities I do and start practicing more conservative/environmental-friendly behaviors.  All around, this trip did nothing but impact me in a positive way and I am excited to share my story with anyone who asks.

 

 

 

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