The Amcor Earthwatch Tropical Conservation Program; bringing together science, conservation and the community.
Tropical northern Australia contains a huge proportion of the continent's biodiversity. For example the Great Barrier Reef has 350 corals, 1,500 fish species and 8,000 molluscs; the Wet Tropics World Heritage rainforests have 3,000 plant species and one third of Australia's mammal species. The savannas and wetlands also have an immense complement of biodiversity.
Human activities are placing pressures on the integrity of ecosystems and directly threatening many species.
Earthwatch's Tropical Conservation Program has been working with scientists, local conservation, training and management organisations and communities for over 5 years to find ways the natural ecosystem and communities can co-exist in a sustainable manner.
Six critical scientific research projects have received Earthwatch support since establishment:
- Climate Change in the Rainforest - A study of the impacts of climate change on rainforest flora and fauna
- Hawksbill Turtles of the Great Barrier Reef - Studying the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle
- Rainforests of Northern Australia - A study of rainforest seed dispersal by fruit eating animals and birds
- Queensland Tropical Fish Ecology - Studying the impacts of riparian revegetation on tropical stream ecology
- Kangaroos, Cockatoos and Bettongs - Studying the regeneration of natural ecosystems on an ex-cattle station
- Life in the Rainforest Canopy - A study of ecological processes in the upper rainforest canopy
Over 70 different community education activities have been implemented including workshops, education materials, Indigenous education programs for young people and publications. More details can be found in the Tropical Conservation Program's latest activity reports:
February 2008 August 2007 May 2007
Over 30 conservation professionals from Asia have participated in Earthwatch tropical science and learning programs to build their capacity to address tropical sustainability issues in their own countries.
Climate Change in North Queensland
North Queensland is already experiencing impacts from climate change and according to current predictions this region will be one of the most heavily impacted in Australia.
Until recently locally relevant printed resource material detailing expected climate change impacts was not available. Earthwatch has worked with Terrain NRM and the North Queensland Climate Alliance to produce 5 fact sheets explaining climate change and detailing predicted effects on the rainforest, reef, weather and agriculture. These can be downloaded below:
What is Climate Change? Agriculture Rainforest Reef Weather
Other Support for The Amcor Earthwatch Tropical Conservation Program
Amcor's support has successfully leveraged the involvement of other community groups including George Alexander Foundation, Perpetual Trustees, Terrain NRM and North Queensland Climate Alliance. Without Amcor's support, Earthwatch's important work in one of the world's most biologically diverse regions simply would not have been possible.