Year 12 Environmental Science Phillip Island Biodiversity Camp

On Monday 3rd of March, the Year 12 Environmental Science class travelled to Phillip Island (Milowl) to conduct fieldwork and evaluate the biodiversity of the unique combination of ecosystems found on the island. Students began their fieldwork at Cowes Beach where the rain couldn’t dampen their enthusiasm. Students explored the conservation of shorebirds in the Rhyll Conservation Reserve, a special place where they found a woodland, mudflat, and mangrove ecosystem in the same area. Luckily, there was only one mud mishap (Ms Wilson was unharmed). At low tide students collected data on the mudflats of Rhyll Beach in the rain, where they were all happier than they look in the photos. We made a quick stop at the caravan park for some much appreciated hot showers and mud removal before heading to the Penguin Parade to see the Little Penguins make their nightly trek up the beach and sand dunes to return to their burrows. After a long day of fieldwork and rain we were looking forward to a dry day on day 2.

Students started Day 2 by conducting fieldwork in the rockpools at Shelley Beach, thankfully it was dry, although a few sneaky waves contributed to some wet shoes! We were lucky enough to see some Little Penguins up close in their burrows. We explored the rugged coastline of Phillip Islands and saw some Australian fur seals hunting for fish in the rough waters. Students got up close and personal with koalas and swamp wallabies before making the most of the elusive sunshine and conducting some final fieldwork at Cowes Beach where several students ‘slipped’ into the water and needed an emergency change of whatever dry clothes they had left. The camp gave students the opportunity to generate the primary biodiversity data they will use in their first SAC and to explore the traditional home of the Bunurong people. The Year 12 Environmental Science class would like to thank Ms Wilson and Mr Egan for supporting the camp.