G'day!

G'day - an informal Australian way to say "hello."

Kookaburra- (Dacelo novaeguineae), other wise known as the Laughing Kookaburra, Australian bird that is the largest of the kingfishers and unlike popular belief does not eat "gumdrops."


Gumtree- a diverse group of flowering trees in the Myrtaceae family that produces can produce copious amounts of sap or "gum"; Americans call them Eucalyptus Trees.


Now that the vocabulary is sorted and out of the way we can begin. 


My name is Ann Bishop, I am a junior Natural Resource Management major at Colorado State University in the Warner College of Natural Resources. This semester I will be studying abroad at James Cook University in Cairns Australia. 
To share, document, and in the words of study-abroad orientation packets "get the most out of" this experience I have started this blog.  
While sharing the fun of this trip, I would also like to distinguish differences between Australian and American realities and perceptions; in the same way the fictional gum eating kookaburra is different from its real amphibian consuming counterpart.


Why Australia, James Cook, Cairns ect?
I choose to study in Australia because its unique history has created special ecosystems full of unusual plants, animals, and anything in between.  This includes the well known Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, the misty tablelands, rainforests, and more. Rainforest and coastal ecology are of great interest to me because of their richness and the diverse group of organisms that use these places. Including people! I decided on James Cook University because of its reputation as an excellent school for environmental studies and their large selection of classes on both the environment and human environmental interaction. James Cook's location at Cairns (Northern Queensland) seemed ideal for its close proximity to the Daintree Rainforest, the reefs, and coastal mangrove stands.


How did I come up with "Kookaburra's Gumtree"?
To decide on a name for the blog I consulted friends, family, and some Australian slang websites. The results included lots of Vegemite, a result from the popular song "Land Downunder" (featured below). I asked some of them why Vegemite and it turned out because that was one of the only things they could think of as iconic Australian. (Along with Uluru formaly Ayer's Rock, Great Barrier Reef, koalas, and kangaroos.) And then there was of course that song which many Americans learn as kids about the Kookaburra laughing in the old gumtree. 

I will be departing the USofA on Feb. 3 2012 and will attempt to post at least 2 a week, depending on internet access and class work. 
If you have a question or there is something you think I should blog about please write it in the comment box!


Until then, No worries mate!