SMC Australian Wildlife Recovery & Cleanup

January 2020

Saint Mary’s College, Moraga California

Australia is one of the most important nations on Earth for biodiversity, as it is home to more species than any other developed country.  Most of Australia’s wildlife is found nowhere else in the world, making its conservation even more important.  Sadly, however, Australia is facing an extinction crisis.  It has the planet’s worst mammal extinction rate and a high proportion of their surviving animals and plants (over 1,700 species) are listed as endangered!  To add to the pressures on the wildlife and environment, Australia has recently suffered the worst wildfires in its recorded history, making efforts to assist with wildlife conservation even more critical.

Kinesiology Professor Derek Marks and students from Saint Mary’s College recently visited Australia to complete a course titled "Endangered Australia: Wildlife and Culture" in order to survey and participate in Australian wildlife conservation efforts. Students worked with wildlife conservation organizations to build and set up water stations, construct dreys for possums, distribute food in fire affected areas, clear fire debris, and help care for animals. Conservation professionals, park rangers, biologists, and Aboriginal leaders lead activities and provided educational opportunities to help the students better understand the effects that habitat damage, overexploitation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change are having on native species and ecosystems.

Among the learning outcomes, the students contributed to taking care of not only wildlife but the environment as well.  They accomplished this through educational experiences as well as hands-on activities.  For example, picking up waste using Pick It Up bags, clearing brush for fire protection, weeding invasive plant species, among other activities.  They used Pick It Up bags in the bush and along beaches in Bulli, Jervis Bay (where pics were taken), and Bendalong (Sussex Inlet) all in NSW and on Fitzroy Island in far north Queensland.

Pictured (left to right): Meg R, Olivia S, Morgan G, Matti A.

Professor Marks