Cultural Awareness Through Proboscis Monkey Ecology
On the Island of Borneo, there are rare and wild treasures. They are the herbivorous, Proboscis “Old World” Monkeys. The local villagers gave them the name "Dutchman" or "Dutch monkey" because of their human-like appearance, but locally they are Bekantan. They are unique for their pot bellies, prominent noses to amplify mating calls, high diving into water, webbed feet for swimming (20 m underwater!), and blue babies.
Coalmining companies in South Kalimantan are collaborating with the UON and Universitas Lambung Mankurat (Banjarmasin) to create a sanctuary on the island of Pulau Bakut (Barito River, Indonesia) a Natural Park where 60 individuals remain. The Kalimantan Bekantan populations are the largest, but unsustainable coal mining, logging, oil palm plantations, spread of human settlement, and roads criss-crossing the once dense swamp and heath forests are squeezing them out. State laws and international listings describe them as endangered because the population has halved in the past 40 years.
With generous funding from the New Colombo Plan, Professor Tim Roberts from the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment will lead a group of 20 UON students into the Bekantan habitat to conduct an ambitious expedition in 2018. This will allow us to share our understanding of primate conservation and coalmine rehabilitation, build relationships between universities, and forge local friendships. Students will have a unique opportunity to develop Indonesian contacts and to learn about the traditional culture and language of Borneo.
Two weeks in July 2018 (20 students) (sold out)
A $3,000 subsidy is available to each of the 20 UON undergraduate student enrolled in a relevant UON course such as SCIE3600 or
ENVS3008.
Coalmining companies in South Kalimantan are collaborating with the UON and Universitas Lambung Mankurat (Banjarmasin) to create a sanctuary on the island of Pulau Bakut (Barito River, Indonesia) a Natural Park where 60 individuals remain. The Kalimantan Bekantan populations are the largest, but unsustainable coal mining, logging, oil palm plantations, spread of human settlement, and roads criss-crossing the once dense swamp and heath forests are squeezing them out. State laws and international listings describe them as endangered because the population has halved in the past 40 years.
With generous funding from the New Colombo Plan, Professor Tim Roberts from the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment will lead a group of 20 UON students into the Bekantan habitat to conduct an ambitious expedition in 2018. This will allow us to share our understanding of primate conservation and coalmine rehabilitation, build relationships between universities, and forge local friendships. Students will have a unique opportunity to develop Indonesian contacts and to learn about the traditional culture and language of Borneo.
Two weeks in July 2018 (20 students) (sold out)
A $3,000 subsidy is available to each of the 20 UON undergraduate student enrolled in a relevant UON course such as SCIE3600 or
ENVS3008.
Cultural Awareness Through Rehabilitation of Tropical Forest Post Mining.
This field trip will bring UON environmental, development studies, life sciences and ecology students to our partner university Universitas Lambung Mankurat (UNLAM) in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan for two weeks of shared lectures, language immersion, field trips and discussions.
PT ADARO Indonesia is a mining company with extensive mine rehabilitation programs running in Central Kalimantan and UON students will gain experience of the processes necessary to regrow tropical rain forest on mined land. Students would work with Adaro forest rehabilitators on site, spending time in the plant nursery, planting on the rehabilitated land and in tutorials to understand how successful forest regrowth can be achieved in the face of tropical rainfall, and acid forming geology.
PT ADARO Indonesia is a mining company with extensive mine rehabilitation programs running in Central Kalimantan and UON students will gain experience of the processes necessary to regrow tropical rain forest on mined land. Students would work with Adaro forest rehabilitators on site, spending time in the plant nursery, planting on the rehabilitated land and in tutorials to understand how successful forest regrowth can be achieved in the face of tropical rainfall, and acid forming geology.
Two weeks in December 2018 (10 students)
A $3,000 subsidy is available to each of the 10 UON undergraduate student enrolled in a relevant UON course such as SCIE3600 or
ENVS3008.
A $3,000 subsidy is available to each of the 10 UON undergraduate student enrolled in a relevant UON course such as SCIE3600 or
ENVS3008.
Whereas the original Colombo Plan brought students to study in Australia, the New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake Internships in the region.
Opportunity of a lifetime! Join a trip to the jungles of Borneo with the New Colombo Plan mobility projects.
Opportunity of a lifetime! Join a trip to the jungles of Borneo with the New Colombo Plan mobility projects.