Research Project Description

Hello everybody!

This first post on my blog is a description of my Magellan research project so that you all have an idea of what I will be doing during the next month abroad!

One might be surprised how much wildlife really does differ throughout our planet Earth. Animals that might seem overpopulated or "normal" to people in one country might not even exist or be considered exotic in other countries. Two countries that are known for their unique wildlife are Australia and New Zealand. Australia's wildlife is one of the main reasons so many people travel to Australia each year. There are more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species, 4000 fish species, 300 lizard species, 140 snake species, 2 crocodile species and about 50 types of marine animals. The coolest thing about Australian wildlife is that over 80% are unique to Australia- not found anywhere else in the world! Just like Australia, the majority of wildlife in New Zealand is native to the country. Even the two islands (north and south) have different wildlife.

These two countries have similar ideas behind their environmental policies to protect their fascinating wildlife. There are many problems regarding extinction in these countries. 1 in 3 of Australia's unique mammals are at the risk of extinction! Over 86 species are considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The Australian government regulates international trade, protecting species against overexploitation and Australian ecosystems against the introduction of foreign protruding species. As for New Zealand, as Europeans settled there, they hunted birds and brought predators including rats and stoats. This, along with the loss of habitat, led to the extinction of a number of birds and other species. Because of this tragedy, over 20% of New Zealand is covered in national parks and reserves. There is a strict no-take policy in these parts of the country which means that no fishing or disrupting the land is allowed.

My trip consists of me visiting different places in both Australia and New Zealand. In Australia I will be traveling down the east coast visiting Cairns, Townsville, Rainbow Beach/ Fraser Island, Byron Bay, Coff's Harbour, and Sydney. In New Zealand I will be visiting Auckland and Queenstown. This once in a life time trip officially begins this Sunday May 21, 2017. I will continue to update this blog throughout my travels and I hope you follow me on this! Feel free to leave comments or contact me as I should have an international phone plan while gone!