Does the Rain Ever Stop?

Getting all packed up and ready to go.  This will be my last post.  It has been fun blogging with you and all of your questions have been fantastic.  I loved seeing all of you on the Skype.  I wanted you to hear one last thing.  It is the sound of the currawong.  It was such a lovely sound.  Here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YUXI9vgl-Q

And here is his picture.  You probably would have never identified this bird.  Not the greatest picture!

I Finally Got a Close Up!

This bird laughed at me the entire time I was at Cape Otway and he made me laugh every time I heard him.  I think he
was laughing at me because every time I tried to take his picture he would fly away.  This guy was just sitting here waiting for a handout.  He wasn't interested in what the other birds were eating (seeds) because he is a type of kingfisher.  I hope you know that it is a kookaburra.

One Even Landed on My Head!

I didn't even have food and he landed on my shoulder.  I love birds, but really.  What kind of bird is this?

Birds!

We stopped to get a snack and these birds, that were so evasive in the wild, posed for pictures for us.  They are very tame here, because everyone feeds them.  Can you name these birds? 

Radio Tracking With My Team!

There were six people on my team, plus a scientist named Dr. Desley Whisson and an earthwatch coordinator.  This is Annie who lives in Santa Cruz and is an ex Aussie and Kirsty, our Australian Earthwatch coordinator.  Kirsty is only 27 years old, but boy

is she tough!  I shared a cabin with Kirsty, Annie, and Jim (Annie's husband).  It was fun to be with two Aussies.  They taught me so much about Australia!

My Boots!

I wanted to show you the heavy boots that we had to wear.  We also had to wear water proof pants and jackets because it was so wet.  You might notice that I also have on gaiters.  That is to protect my legs from venomous snake bites and prickly moses ( a type of plants that really cuts you up).  I forgot to wear my gloves one day when we were doing bush bashing and boy did I get my hands cut up with that stuff.

Up a Tree!

You can never have too many pictures of koalas!  You notice that they have put metal collars around the trees to prevent the koalas from going up the tree and eating the leaves.  They get very frustrated when they can't get up their favorite tree.

A Koala Bellowing!

Well kids, I couldn't ever record a male koala bellowing, but I found a link for you.  The male is bellowing because he is looking for a mate.  It's really kind of a funny sound!   They sound like pigs!  Read the article, it tells more about their bellows!

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/brutish-koala-bellows-attract-mates-not-ward-off-rivals.htm

Name That Bird!

Upper School This Is For You

Here are some things I want you to think about...

1.  You have a koala population in the early 1900s that almost becomes extinct because there are no laws to protect wildlife. 

2.  Some nice conservationists come up with a plan. They move 20 koalas to a island off Melbourne to save them from extinction. They multiply because they don't have natural predators.  

3.  All of a sudden they have too many koalas, so they move them back to the mainland in 1980 where I am. 

4.  Now it's 2013 and the koala population is out of control. They have no natural predators and they are a protected species. 

5.  They are eating every mana gum tree in sight. Everyone is upset because they are losing all their trees and the koalas keep multiplying. The trees are dying  and the koalas are losing their food source, but remember they are a protected species.

Who is to blame here?

Think about it.  What would you do if you were in charge?

Radio Tracking Koalas!!

Ten of the koalas have radio collars on them. We have to track them every day to see if they have moved. Each koala has a collar with a GPS tracking device on them and we have to take satellite trackers to find them.  They don't move too much so sometimes you can find them pretty quickly.  Today it took us an hour to find just one and we had five to find. 

Scarface

All the koalas we have tracked have names. This one is called Scarface, because he has lost an eye and the side of his face is slightly deformed. They think he might have had an

infection.  He's still pretty cute if you see him from the other side!

Another View From The Hilltop!

This is where I have to come to get good cell phone reception. It's peaceful here as you can see. It is 6:47 at night which means it's 11:47 at night for you, but you are a day behind.  I wish you were all here with me surrounded by such beauty and soooo many animals.  Miss you!

This Guy Keeps Following Me Around!

This guy keeps following me around and laughing at me. Who is he?

Can You Believe How Cute!

Always eating. They eat four pounds of mana gum leaves a day!  Little piggies!

Ouch!

Got bit by this guy!  It is a bull ant and boy did  that hurt!

Went on a Night Walk!

Went on a night walk to see the glow worms. We walked in the dark which was a little scary until your eyes got adjusted to the dark. It was like a fairyland. It's not the worm that lights up. It's actually its poop!  Also heard

yellow-bellied gliders. Couldn't see them, but we could sure hear them!  Included a picture so you could see them! Wish we could have seen them. Saw lots of koalas on the way back to camp. They are most active from 6-12 at night!  They usually sleep the rest of the time. 

12 Apostles

 We had a day off today!  We have been working hard. We drove up the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 Apostles which have been created by eroding limestone.  The ocean and surrounding areas are beautiful.  Saw a blue tongue, but he was so well camouflaged I couldn't get a good photo. These critters are quick.  What kind of animal is a blue tongue?

Shelly Beach

After our koala survey we hiked through the rainforest down to the beach. We saw all kinds of shells and sea life. The tide pools were filled with all kinds of interesting (and different) animals. 

What Animal Does This Belong?

We found lots of these on the beach. They are a mollusk and second graders we saw them at Scripps Institute last year. Think, think, think! 

Otway National Park

We went to a different site to count koalas and assess trees. There were a lot less koalas and that is a good thing.  This is a rainforest.  Can you tell me what type of rain forest this is?

A view From The Top Of The Hill!

It is so beautiful here!  This is a view from a hill behind our camp!

Skulls!

We collected koala skulls to assess why they have died. First graders, look at the teeth. Can you tell if koalas are herbivores or carnivores?  How do you know?

Today Was A Pretty Exciting Day!

Today we radio tracked koalas (which is not that easy)). When we found them we had to record their GPS coordinates. We have to do this daily to find out where the koalas are going to find their food. We also had to capture four different koalas for relocation and health checks. We captured one mom and I got to hold her baby while she was being weighed and checked. He was very soft, but he had very sharp claws. He was about 10 months old. When the baby is born it crawls up to the mom's pouch. Can you tell me how long the babies stay in their mom's pouch? When they come out do they eat mana gum leaves or the mom's milk or both?

I Helped Bag a Koala!

I tried to hold this captured koalas down. It was a male and way too strong for me. I had to let our project leader take over! We are capturing more tomorrow to check on their radio devices. Maybe I will be more successful! Wish me luck!

Bush Bashing!

We also spent some time assessing the trees that are the koalas' food source. This requires a lot of bush bashing which is Australian for crawling around in the bush. Pretty dirty and tiring work, but interesting nevertheless.

More Koalas!

She has a baby. What are koala babies called?

Vegemite!

I tried some this morning. Not too bad with buttered toast. It is very high in sodium. Since we are studying nutrition in first grade, is this a problem?  What is sodium anyway and is it good for you?

Can You Identify This Bird?

They are very loud and are kept as pets in America. 

How Much Does a Koala Eat?

How many pounds of mana gum leaves does a koala eat each day? 

I Came Upon This Collection In The Bush!

This bird collects blue objects and then decorates a bower to attract his mate?  Can you name it?

Why Do Male Koalas Bellow?

I have not been able to record a koala bellowing. Mrs. Bjelland, if you can download the site where you can hear animal sounds please send it out to everyone. It is quite distinct.

There Is a Problem!

The Australian government representatives were here today. There is a problem with the koalas and the dying trees. Upper school students can you tell me why?  What is their stand on euthusizing sick koalas?  Can they cull the koalas?  if so,how do you feel about that? Is their new prime minister pro environment or not?  Is our government pro environment or not?  Please think about this as we have similar problems with some wildlife in our own country.

Koalas Koalas Everywhere!

I'm Out In The Bush Today!

We recorded 18 koalas and four dead ones. Very sad. Also saw a kangaroo with her joey! Not raining as much today!  These koalas eat mana gum trees and they can only eat these types of trees. The trees are dying. Can you tell me why and why is this a problem for these koalas?

I'm Here!

I saw all kinds of animals while I was traveling here and I am finally here!  We saw two kangaroos, some cockatoos and of course a bunch of koalas.  This one is right outside my cabin!  We are off on our first data collecting excursion tomorrow morning!

I'm Off to Otway National Park, Victoria

I am meeting up with my team in a just a few hours at the Southern Cross Station in Melbourne.  We will then travel by car for about five hours to Otway National Park.  Check out the link below to see exactly where I am going!  Second graders, poor Flat Stanley, he can't stand the rain and it is still raining!
http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Great-Ocean-Road/Activities-and-attractions/Nature-and-wildlife/National-parks-and-reserves/T

Our Own Emily Johnson Found An Article About An Ancient Platypus!

Emily Johnson found a great article about an ancient platypus.  Read all about it if you follow this link!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/giant-platypus-fossils-australia-species_n_4218149.html

Some More Questions For You!

When I was in the Melbourne Museum yesterday I learned so much.  I have a few more questions for you.  The first is for fourth grade since you studied this last year (that's a hint).

What happened in the 1850s in Australia that also happened in California a few years earlier?

My second question is for all those scientists out there.

What is a diprotodon and what is its relationship to the koala and the wombat?

I'm in Melbourne!

I arrived in Melbourne this morning.  It is still raining!  I visited the Melbourne Museum where Mrs. Rowe's son (HDS alum) works.  The museum was amazing (right Kylie?).  I was so impressed with the design and how interactive it was.  I loved the room below that was filled with stuffed animals from all over the world, but I was especially impressed with the quotation by Albert Einstein that was printed on the wall.  That should be our mantra first graders!  Mrs. Bjelland you need to put that on our wall (please)!!  While I was visiting the museum I learned so many things so I do have two questions for you and I would love to hear your answers (thanks to Charli and Caden - you identified that bird correctly!)

1. What animal, other than a bat, uses echolocation to catch their prey?  Hint:  It lives in the ocean.
2.  What is the name of the horse that is as famous to Australians as Seabiscuit is to the Americans?
Post your answers and I will let you know if you are right!

A Platypus!

I got to see a platypus at the aquarium today.  They are a lot smaller than I realized!  Check out the website below to learn more about these unique animals!
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/platypus/

She's so tiny.  You can barely see her!

Hey, Eighth Grade Boys Check This Out!

I was following some boys who are in ninth grade and I couldn't help noticing their school uniforms. They happily posed for a picture for those kids back in California.  No more complaints from any of you, these boys actually said they love wearing their uniforms!

I had to share this!

There is a lovely park across the street from my hotel and I decided to take a stroll.  When I saw the fountain I noticed these lovely turtles!  They made me think of our first grade turtles,

Hyde Park

Viola and Sarah.  Take good care of the "girls" while I am gone!

These birds are a problem, find out why!

I saw a few of these birds as I was walking around Sydney.  Read the link below to find out why they are a problem!
http://www.mygreenaustralia.com/time-to-scan-for-pests-australia-feral-scan-online/

Can you identify this bird?

There are lots of seagulls in the harbor.  They look a little different than our seagulls.  They have orange beaks and they make a different sound.  Can you tell me the name of the seagull that lives in the Sydney Harbor?  The bird that really interested me was the bird below.   I wasn't sure what it was so I looked it up!

Now, it's your turn to identify it.  Post your answer and I will let you know if you are right!  (I found a larger picture on the web to help you.)

Greetings from Sydney!

Manly Beach

 I arrived safely in Sydney yesterday (Sunday, Saturday your time) at 8:35 in the morning.  Can you tell your teacher why it is a different day?  The flight was very long, 15 hours.  I watched three movies and tried to sleep.  The flight was a little bumpy as there were lots of storms over the Pacific Ocean, (Look on a weather map and see why) but the pilots were very good about navigating around the storms, so we didn't suffer too much!  I checked into my hotel and showered and off I went to explore the city.  It is raining here so my plans were altered somewhat.  Second grade, I am sorry but Flat Stanley does not like the rain! First I walked down to the harbor and took a ferry to Manly Beach.  We passed the lovely building posted below.  Can you name it?  Although, it was raining, the city was beautiful.  We saw lots of people out in their sail boats working very hard to not run into our ferry.  Miss Hogan,  I thought about you when I saw how hard the crews were working.    When I got to Manly Beach there was a surf contest taking place.  It was fun to watch all the kids participate!  The beach reminded me of our peninsula and there were also lots of surf shops with familiar names like Quiksilver!

Flat Stanley getting packed!

I'm all packed and ready to go to Australia!  

Find Melbourne on the map (click on the image to make the map bigger)!

Check out this website to learn more about koalas!

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/koala/