Sarah Proffitt
Disclaimer
My original internship site was at the Cape Tribulation Tropical Research Station. Due to
unforeseen circumstances, I was relocated to James Cook University in Cairns, Australia to
conduct my research there.
My internship at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia was a very unique
experience. My position at JCU was an Undergraduate Research Intern and I was involved in
various projects such as Fantail guppy mating behavior and Flying fox behavior. My
supervisors had a very “hands off” approach and believed I would get the most out of my
time there if I designed and carried out my own project. After searching through the
literature I decided to look at spectacled flying fox movement and behavior within a
campsite throughout the day. The literature is lacking in flying fox behavior and the work I
am doing will add to the general ecology of the species. Other duties included helping
others with projects such as Fantail guppy mate selection and individual temperature
tolerance in four species of flying foxes.
The study I did was purely observational. I sat across from a colony of flying foxes in
Cairns and observed individuals for 15 minutes during the day. I noted behaviors such as
resting, stretching, fanning, moving on branches, aggression, flying and grooming. In
addition to these observations I also took photos at various points throughout the day. This
was done to see how the flying foxes moved around the camp site through time. Also noted
was time, temperature, humidity and cloud cover. The equipment I used were binoculars,
stop watch, measuring tape, hygrometer and a clinometer. I collected data for 7 days and
had a sample size of 39 flying foxes from one campsite. My null hypothesis was that the
time of day, a.m. or p.m., does not affect the frequency of behaviors during each time
period. My alternative hypothesis was that the time of day did affect the frequency of
behaviors. My reasoning behind this had a lot to do with temperature. In the morning when
the flying foxes had just returned to the roost it was quite cool and they were quite active
with vocalizing and moving about the camp. As the day continued, temperatures rose and,
theoretically, the flying foxes should spend more time resting in the shade to try and keep
cool. I am still in the process of analyzing my data and am continuing to work with my
contacts here in Australia until I can produce a research paper. Once I have a finished
product I will submit it to my supervisors at JCU as well as here at OSU.
In addition to my research project I volunteered at the Tolga Bat Hospital. This bat
rehabilitation and education center housed over 100 non-releasable bats. While I was there
I learned how to capture and handle flying foxes, feed, build juvenile cages and clean
enclosures. I assisted researchers from JCU on various projects such as temperature
thresholds across flying fox species and a novel food study. In the temperature threshold
study bats were put in a controlled chamber and the temperature was raised one degree
every five minutes. In both of these projects I assisted with handling animals and preparing
food items.
My supervisor let me set my own learning objectives so designing and carrying out my
own project was my main objective. With the help of various people at JCU I was able to
conduct my research and analyze my data effectively. On a side note, I also wanted more
hands on experience with flying foxes by learning how to capture and handle them at the
Tolga Bat Hospital. I accompanied two of my supervisors on their frequent visits to the
hospital for their own research projects. While there, I assisted them with capturing and
handling the flying foxes and microbats. When my assistance wasn’t necessary, the hospital
owner let me help her with various tasks such as examining injuries, washing and feeding
flying foxes.
I believe my role as an intern at JCU was very important not only for me but the
general public as well. Just as I arrived in Cairns there was a proposition to relocate the
flying fox colony in town. This colony had resided in Cairns for over 35 years and was
thought of as a pest to some people because of the noise and unpleasant smell. Since the
study I had designed was on this said colony I quickly got out in the field to begin my
observations. While I was out collecting data many people would come up to me and ask me
what I was doing. I took it upon myself to give little lectures about how important flying
foxes are for tropical rainforest regeneration. Many people seemed surprised and walked
away with a new found respect for these creatures. Flying foxes get a bad reputation
because of their potential to pass on diseases and their consumption of plantation fruits. A
lot of what the general public hears in the media is mostly hype and is rarely backed by real
science and that’s why it is important to be out in the public talking to people.
My research project may also be a valuable input into the general ecology of the
spectacled flying fox. Bats are naturally a difficult species to study so they often are
overlooked. The project was especially important because the Cairns colony was meant to
be relocated by cutting back the branches in their roost trees. Flying foxes are important
seed dispersers and pollinators of rainforest flora but are currently listed as Vulnerable
under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Without the
Spectacled flying fox the Wet Tropics world heritage landscape may be further reduced or
lost entirely (CSIRO 2009).
This internship let me put into practice the skills I had learned in classes such as Field
Sampling and Mammal Conservation and Management. In Field Sampling I was in a group
and had help from my professor and T.A. but in this project I was on my own. I am very
grateful that I had taken field sampling classes prior to this internship because without them
it would have been much more difficult. I have taken statistics so that was very helpful,
although, I still needed some help analyzing the data. Now that I have had some experience
talking to the public I would like to further enhance my communication skills. Taking more
COMM classes would be beneficial but also classes like FW 488/499 will be helpful because
of their group work and public speaking components.
My trip to Australia really validated my passion for wildlife. I fell in love with the
flying foxes instantly and can’t imagine not being able to see them every day. I am already a
devoted student but now I have more motivation to be more involved in public outreach
type organizations. This internship also planted the idea of doing research as a career later
in my life. This, of course, will require more school which I was undecided about before. I
am giving strong consideration to doing my master’s at James Cook University. I would get
my Masters of Philosophy (research) in Ecology and Conservation at the Cairns campus. If
someone would have asked me two years ago if I wanted a Masters degree I would have
laughed. Now, I see the excitement of advancing my education and feel a Masters abroad
focusing on tropical ecosystems will be attractive to future employers. Also, the possibility
of finding a career here in Australia is very intriguing to me.
I have also made a goal for myself to be more outgoing and comfortable with public
speaking. I am currently a Student Ambassador for the IE3 program on the OSU campus.
This gives me the opportunity to talk to prospective students about my experience in
Australia. I also am gaining valuable public speaking experience as I regularly participate in
class presentations.
The opportunity to go abroad for my intensive internship was truly amazing.
Australia opened up an entire new world for me to explore. I love the culture, landscape and
the wildlife. As I prepare to leave here I feel tore between my life at home and my life here.
I feel as if I have discovered what is really important to me and have come back to the U.S.A
a different person, or just a new version of myself. A personal goal of mine for this trip was
to validate my independence and I feel I accomplished that. I learned that I am a resilient
person and am willing and able to face any challenge ahead of me. The internship was only
half of the experience for me. The friendships and experiences outside of my work were life
changing.
I am grateful that the faculty and staff at James Cook University taking me on as an
intern. JCU is ranked as one of the world’s top universities and is a leader in research
pertaining to the tropical environment. I also learned am grateful for my internship
program, IE3. In my time overseas I became very close to my regional director, Cynthia
Engel. She helped me through some difficult times I had and I am so grateful OSU works
with IE3 because they provide amazing opportunities and are a great support system for
undergraduates.
Citations
Westcott, David. "Spectacled Flying fox." CSIRO., 24 12 2009. Web. 27 Aug 2013.
<http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Environment/Biodiversity/Spectacled-Flying-Fox.asp&xgt;.