Saturday, August 8, 2015

Field trip to Kioloa

After the recent reconnaissance trip to the Australian National University's Kiola Coastal Campus, I am currently on the student field trip that we were then preparing for.


The weather is perfect for bush walking as well as photographing. The above picture shows part of the Coastal Campus with several of the cottages in the background that are used for accommodation, teaching and research.


Today we spent most of the day in the forested two thirds of the campus. Above a picture taken in the rainforest part. The rest of the day was then spent identifying plants and preparing student talks.


Baeckea virgata (Myrtaceae), a little tea tree relative. Similar to Leptospermum (the proper tea tree genus) but with smaller flowers and fruits.


Hakea (Proteaceae) "pods", really follicles, with an insect's egg casket cunningly hidden on them; note how the colour blends in nicely. Probably the egg casket is a praying mantis' ootheca. This was discovered by one of the students.


Australian Health and Safety procedures: This picture shows an evacuation plan for a cottage with four rooms, a single straight corridor and an exit at either end. I strongly suspect that if I were too panicked or confused to figure out on my own how to flee from such a simple building I would certainly be too confused to read the plan.


Also, "coloured chopping boards for your health and safety". Truly I have never seen something like this before, and one immediately wonders how the people fifty years ago (or 5,000 years ago) managed without colour coded chopping boards.

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