australian tropical research foundation

Volunteers

Volunteers will assist in research activities and the daily running and maintenance of the Research Station, the Bat House and the 25 acre grounds; thereby contributing to the overall success of AUSTROP and its conservation aims.

Possible activities are:

• Helping out in the Bat House, interacting with visitors and flying foxes
• Feeding the resident bat colony
• Radio-tracking bats and other animals
• Removing invasive plants from rainforest plots
• Replanting native plant species
• Counting figs

Interns and students

Internships and studentships must be one month's minimum duration to allow you time to get to grips with the local environment and subject material.

Both Students and Interns are involved in specific research projects, with the expectation that they will produce a short report on their project at the end of their stay. Interns have a higher volunteer component.

Researchers

Researchers are encouraged to contact the Station Director as soon as practical, especially as permits may be required from Queensland Department of the Environment, especially for research that must be performed outside of the Station and on neighbouring properties. You will also need to be aware of what facilities and equipment are available for your project. Non-reusable and specialist items will either have to be supplied by the researchers or bought from the (very limited) Station supply.

Research
The Daintree tropical lowland forests, wetlands and shorelines present an inexhaustable array of potential research projects, from the very long term (e.g. plant phenology, micrometeorology) to the short term (HPLC analysis of ant gland contents). The Station is well equipped (2 aircon labs, extensive field equipment, HPLC, GC, Gel Electrophoresis, microscopes, histological facilities, and so on). The only limitations are the imagination and capabilities of the researcher.

Previous research has included: