 |
Glossary Assessing is what we call higher-order thinking. This means it can be quite hard! When you assess something, you have to already be able to recall information, understand that information, use that information by providing examples and finally test whether ideas are supported with evidence. Once you can do all those things you can finally give your opinion! What this means is that you can start making informed decisions. You get to say whether something is valuable or worthless, or whether an idea has merit or is a little silly. You also get to give ideas on possible solutions to real problems. Of course, you simply cannot give your judgement on an issue unless you are armed with lots and lots of evidence! Australia's World Heritage sites Australia presently has 16 World Heritage sites. The earliest site inscribed on the World Heritage list was the Great Barrier Reef in 1981. The Great Barrier Reef is also considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The latest site inscribed on the list is the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne. This site was inscribed in 2004 and is unique because, for the first time in Australia, a building located in a major city has been listed. The 16 Australian World Heritage sites are:
To find out more about Australia's World Heritage sites go to: http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/index.html The Wet Tropics is home to 60% of Australia's bat species. There are actually 34 different species of bat that inhabit the Wet Tropics. Nine of these bat species are endemic to Australia, and one is endemic to the Wet Tropics. Endemic means that the species is only found in a certain region. The bat species endemic to the Wet Tropics (which means it's only found in the Wet Tropics region) is called the Tube-nosed Insectivorous Bat (Murina florium). This tiny bat only weighs about 8 grams! It was once considered to be the rarest mammal recorded alive in Australia. Until 1994, only six of these bats had ever been caught. Fortunately, thanks to new research techniques, it turns out that this little bat, while still rare, isn't as lonely as first thought. You can find out more about the Tube-nosed Insectivorous Bat and other bats on the Wet Tropics website. Biodiversity is the short-hand word for biological diversity. Australia's Department of the Environment and Heritage defines biodiversity as 'the variety of life: the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes and the ecosystems of which they are a part'. Australia is important in terms of its biodiversity. It is home to over a million species of plants and animals, many of which are endemic. About 85% of our flowering plants, 84% of our mammals, 45% of our birds and 89% of our inshore, freshwater fish are found only in Australia. The Wet Tropics is particularly important in maintaining Australia's biodiversity. Have a look at these statistics: Plants
Animals
Cairns has a tropical climate. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are drier. The average annual rainfall for Cairns is 1992mm. It rains on an average of 154 days per year. Most rain falls during the 'wet season' between January and March. Cairns temperatures are fairly similar throughout the year, averaging a maximum of 31 degrees C in summer and 26 degrees C in winter. For more information on the Cairns climate, including rainfall and temperature graphs go to the Bureau of Meteorology website. Examining is still what we call middle-order thinking. It's slightly harder than illustrating, but there are still more difficult things you'll be asked to do in Rainforest Explorer. You are examining when you scrutinise something very, very carefully. Not only should you be able to recall, understand and give examples of information, when you examine you should also be able to test your ideas. For example, you might be given a statement such as: 'Visitors are having a negative impact on the Wet Tropics.' Your job would be to find evidence (using a variety of sources!) that either supports or rejects that statement. So the real goal of examining is to test whether there is evidence to support a statement or an opinion. Explaining is harder than showing, but it's still the second easiest thing you'll be asked to do in Rainforest Explorer. When you explain something, you are showing that you not only can recall information but can also understand that information. When you explain you make it clear for the audience but you do this in a lot of detail. Often explaining means you'll have to give reasons for something (in this case about World Heritage listing and World Heritage protests). Generalisations and Qualifiers When we generalise this means we speak in general terms rather than about specific instances. Often, when we generalise we stereotype or make assumptions that are often proved inadequate when we look at specific examples or specific evidence. That's why you should really avoid generalising because it makes you look like a buffoon! For example, it is a generalisation to say that 'farmers were opposed to World Heritage listing'. Of course, as some of the sources show, some farmers were strongly opposed to World Heritage listing! But there are also specific examples of farmers who were strongly in favour of World Heritage listing. So, we must be highly cautious when we generalise about any stakeholder group. One way to be cautious is to use what are called qualifiers in our statements. Here are some qualifiers you might use for the statement made in the paragraph above. The qualifiers have been underlined.
Of course, this example using the farmer stakeholder group is just that; an example! What's so important in your work is that you try to be as specific as possible. Using qualifiers can help you become more specific and save you the embarrassment of making generalisations that are clearly wrong. This is the hardest, and the most worthwhile thing you'll do in Rainforest Explorer. It requires you to be skilled in showing, explaining, illustrating, examining and assessing. This is what we call the action or the creating stage of thinking. It means that once you've arrived at a decision on an issue, you can actually get out there and do something about it! This is more difficult than it seems. Many people try to help before they've got all the evidence, or before they really understand an issue. Often their idea of 'help' makes matters worse. Before you decide to help, you need to hear all the evidence, you need to weigh up the pros and cons of an issue, and you'll need to really be clear where you stand on an issue. Once you've done these things you'll be in a position to really make a difference to the world you live in. Good luck. Illustrating is what we call middle-order thinking. It's harder than showing and explaining, but it's not as hard as some other things in Rainforest Explorer. When you illustrate, not only do you show that you can recall and understand information, it also means you can apply that knowledge by giving your audience examples. Giving specific examples is the real key to illustrating. So, you would be illustrating if you said: 'Rainforest Aboriginal people had a strong spiritual connection to the land. An example is the legend of the Boulders, near Babinda. This area is said to be inhabited by water spirits which has led to the death of many men.'' The Kuranda Range Road links Smithfield (on the coast north of Cairns) with Kuranda (on the Tablelands). It climbs up a section of the Great Escarpment, a series of rugged mountains and hills that runs from northern Queensland down to the Victorian border. The Kuranda Range Road is renowned as a scenic drive through World Heritage rainforest. It is one of four highways that connect the coast to the Atherton Tablelands. The others are the Palmerston Highway, near Innisfail, the Gillies Highway, near Gordonvale, and the Rex Range Road near Port Douglas. The Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis) holds a special place in the hearts of many Australians. It is perhaps one of the cutest animals found in the Wet Tropics, as seen by its frequent inclusion in tourist brochures! For over 100 years it was considered extinct. However, a living specimen was found in 1989. While the re-discovery of this beautiful animal is good news, the Mahogany Glider is still critically endangered mostly due to land clearing. For more information on what is being done to save the Mahogany Glider go to Queensland's Department of Environment and Heritage Protection website. A nematode is another name for a roundworm. There are thousands of species of nematodes, however, most are either microscopic or really tiny (about 1mm). Don't underestimate the nematode! Some are parasites and, yes, they can be found in humans (perhaps you've heard of hookworm?!) Possums and Gliders in the Wet Tropics The Wet Tropics supports the highest possum and glider diversity in Australia. Five species are endemic. Four of these are possums who are rainforest specialists (the endemic Mahogany Glider can be found in Melaleuca swamps). The four rainforest specialists are restricted to highland rainforests and, with the threat of global warming, are in a critical situation. These four possums are the:
Other possums found in the Wet Tropics include:
Gliders found in the Wet Tropics include:
Rainforest Aboriginal People Clan groups The rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area are the traditional lands of the Bama, -Rainforest Aboriginal People. While not all Rainforest Aboriginal people called themselves Bama (it was not used, for instance, by the Dyirbal-speakers), the term has come to represent all Rainforest Aboriginal people. The Bama were made up of four major language groups - the Wargamy-speakers, the Warungu-speakers, the Dyirbal-speakers and the Yidinydji-speakers. It is important to note that each major language group contained many dialects, and that each language clan was divided again into different clan groups. Rainforest Aboriginal People languages The Dyirbal-speakers occupied the area north of Innisfail. Their neighbours were the Yidinydji-speakers who occupied the Cairns and Kuranda region. Despite their close proximity, their languages were as different as French and German (Bottoms, in McDonald & Lane, 'Securing the Wet Tropics', Federation Press 2000). Rainforest Aboriginal People timeline Our ideas on the length of time Aboriginal people occupied the Wet Tropics are based on archaeology. Archaeology is the study of human history through the examination of remaining evidence, like middens, fire pits, rubbish areas, and tools. Estimates range from 5100 years, 37500 years, through to 45000 years on the Atherton Tablelands. Regardless of the actual date, what is certain is that Rainforest Aboriginal people have been living in the Wet Tropics for a very long time, certainly thousands of years longer than the first European! Because of this, Rainforest Aboriginal people have developed a traditional and spiritual link to the land. Their laws, spirits, beliefs and stories were born in the Wet Tropics rainforests and they are still passed down to this day. Rainforests have been called the 'world's largest pharmacy'. This is because nearly half the medicines we use come from the rainforest. Much of the knowledge about the health benefits of rainforest plants and fruit comes from indigenous rainforest people all over the world. Showing is the easiest thing you'll be asked to do in Rainforest Explorer. When you show something you are making it clear for your audience. You are showing that you can recall information (in this case recalling information about rainforest structural features), and present it in a variety of ways (in this case, as a picture or a model). A lot of different people and organisations have a strong interest in how the World Heritage Area is managed. These stakeholders include:
The Wet Tropics receives about two million visitors each year! About one third of the visitors rely on commercial tour companies to help them visit the Wet Tropics. Over 100 different commercial tours are available to choose from, provided by over 50 tour companies. The average cost of a tour is $100 per person! So, you can just imagine how many local people are employed in the Wet Tropics tourism industry. Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are two major circles of latitude that can be found on maps of the earth. The Tropic of Cancer is found in the northern hemisphere while the Tropic of Capricorn can be found in the southern hemisphere. Anything south of the Tropic of Cancer and anything north of the Tropic of Capricorn is considered the tropics. This is where the world's tropical rainforests are found. Both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are significant because they define the farthest point (north and south respectively) where the sun can appear directly overhead. Tropical North Queensland is the area between Townsville and Cooktown. It contains all of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. For visitors, the Wet Tropics is often divided into five overlapping areas. These are: Southern Wet Tropics: This area is closest to the major regional centre of Townsville. The Southern Wet Tropics is most easily accessed near Paluma. The Central Coast: This area stretches from Cardwell north to Cairns. It is also called the Cassowary Coast. The Wet Tropics of the Central Coast is most easily accessed at places like Mission Beach and along the Palmerston Highway. The Tablelands: This area lies west of Cairns, high up on the mountain plateaus. This part of Tropical North Queensland is often called the Atherton Tablelands, or for tourists, the Cairns Highlands. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is easily accessed at places like Lake Eacham, Davies Creek or the Curtain Fig. Cairns/Kuranda: Cairns is the tourist heart of Tropical North Queensland, while Kuranda is only a short drive (or train ride!) up the range. Kuranda is one of the most popular Wet Tropics destinations in Tropical North Queensland. Northern Wet Tropics: This area stretches from Port Douglas north to Cooktown at the start of Cape York. Popular Wet Tropics access points include Mossman Gorge and the Daintree Coast. The United Nations (UN) was established in 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace. Today 191 countries belong to the UN. The UN has four purposes:
The UN is made up of about 30 organisations who work on specific things. For instance, UNICEF's mission is to protect children's rights, the World Health Organisation's mission is to prevent and eradicate diseases, and UNEP's mission is to raise public awareness on environmental issues. You can find out more on the UN website. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) UNESCO is one of the specialist organisations that make up the United Nations. It is primarily involved in improving education (like literacy rates), applying scientific breakthroughs that help humans and the environment (UNESCO recently established tsunami monitors), and helping cultures survive. UNESCO's focus on culture is where World Heritage comes in. You might say that overall UNESCO is the body responsible for World Heritage sites. UNESCO's mission is to:
It's interesting to notice the kinds of words UNESCO uses in its mission. They use words like 'encourage', 'help' and 'support'. What this shows us is that, even though they provide assistance with World Heritage, it's up to the individual countries to actually manage their World Heritage sites. The individual countries still own their World Heritage sites, and they are responsible for ensuring they stay safe. UNESCO just gives a big helping hand! You can find out more by going to the UNESCO website. There are about 150 walks in the Wet Tropics. Some of these walks range from quick, easy strolls (like the 12 minute Curtain Fig Tree walk) to epic, difficult adventures (like the climb up Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland's highest mountain). Walks are graded as easy, moderate or difficult. Each walk features something different about the Wet Tropics. For instance, some walks feature:
You can also choose an activity or theme you're interested in. For instance:
You can find out the details of each of the 150 bushwalks by going to the Wet Tropics website. The Wet Tropics logo can be seen all around tropical North Queensland. When you see the logo, you know you're in or near the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The frog in the logo represents more than 100 animal species, which are rare or endangered - from the giant flightless cassowary to tiny butterflies. The leaf symbolises over 3000 plant species found here - the greatest diversity of plants on the Australian continent. Over 460 of these plants are considered rare or threatened. Our logo design is also intended as a vivid reminder of the cultural heritage of the Aboriginal tribal groups who are recognised as the traditional owners of the Wet Tropics. Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) The Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) is responsible for the overall management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It has about 20 staff - that's about one person for every 45,000 hectares of the World Heritage Area. So it's important to note that WTMA is not responsible for the day-to-day management of the Wet Tropics. Things like maintenance, permits and law enforcement are actually the responsibility of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. WTMA is more involved in the policy side of running the Wet Tropics. You can get an idea of what WTMA is really responsible for by looking at the list of WTMA duties:
As you can see from the second last duty, this resource has been set up to help develop community education programs! You can find out more about WTMA and how it manages the Wet Tropics by going to the Wet Tropics website. Some of Australia's most dramatic rivers run through the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. You've probably heard of the Daintree River. Certainly this is the Wet Tropics' most famous waterway. You may have also heard of the following rivers:
The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area includes Australia's highest waterfall which is Wallaman Falls, west of Ingham. In fact, all regions of the Wet Tropics have spectacular waterfalls and rugged gorges:
To find out more about these places go to the Wet Tropics website. Wet Tropics World Heritage Area The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is the official name given to north Queensland's internationally protected tropical rainforests. Of course, the Wet Tropics also includes other important areas like wet schlerophyl forests, melaleuca swamps and wild rivers. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1988 after many years of negotiation. Wet Tropics World Heritage timeline The history of the Wet Tropics is actually millions of years old! Even its human history is thousands of years old. However, the Wet Tropics was only officially given its name in 1988. This was the year that the Wet Tropics was listed as a World Heritage Area. You can find out about the Wet Tropics' recent history by going to the timeline on the Wet Tropics website. WTMA hasn't got a document as such that says 'these are our values'. Rather, just like every other stakeholder group, we have to expose WTMA's values by looking at the decisions it has made and the criteria used to make its decisions. WTMA's primary goal might help you expose its values, it's summarised below: The Primary Goal of the Wet Tropics Management Authority is to:
to future generations the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area, within the meaning of the World Heritage. |