Photo Comp Winner!
Congratulations to QLD-based volunteer Archie Lowe for his winning image taken on Earthwatch's Climate Change in the Rainforest project.
Archie is a Plant Services Employee at Gladstone Power Station and joined Dr Steven Williams in the field in June last year to help monitor the impacts of climate change on a diverse array of forest species.
As a volunteer, Archie was involved in bird surveys, leaf litter trap emptying and insect sampling, taking environmental measurements and spotlighting for frogs and possums.
"I've always been interested in the environment and felt the trip would be a great hands-on opportunity to gain experience in the field."
Working with Dr Williams and his team and visiting the butterfly farm were all memorable experiences for Archie and says he would thoroughly recommend the project to anyone.
"This experience has opened my eyes to a whole new world. It's also offered better insight into our fragile environment and the dedicated people working at making a difference."
Although the camera that took the winning image has since been lost to an unfortunate water-based incident, Archie still thinks fondly on his experience.
"Spending so much time in the rainforest you soon got to know some of the hazards in the form of ticks, leeches, stinging trees and wait-a-while palm fronds, but this was soon forgotten when I had the opportunity to see a platypus for the first in time in a creek just down from our camp."
Archie's winning image, taken while visiting a nearby butterfly farm, has won him two places on Earthwatch's new one-day project Turtles in Trouble which is investigating the impacts of marine debris ingestion on turtles, and plans to take his fiancée Janet.
"Janet and I are pretty excited. We're both interested in the environment and are looking forward to learning more about the threats to sea turtles and what scientists are doing to help understand this problem."
Send us your photos!
Special thanks to everyone for submitting some wonderful field research pictures throughout the year, and to our friends at Outer Edge who supported the bi-monthly magazine subscription prizes.
If at any time you'd like to send through your images from your Earthwatch experience, please email earth@earthwatch.org.au
Or send a CD of your research snaps to Earthwatch Australia, 126 Bank Street, South Melbourne, VIC 3205.