Join us in Goongerah to explore East Gippsland's old growth forests.

Learn from the dedicated and passionate ecologists and activists at GECO whose citizen science campaign is saving forests from logging.

This camp will visit forests on the lands of the Bidewell, GunnaiKurnai and Monero people. We acknowledge their ongoing custodianship of these forests and pay respect to their elders past and present.

The camp is free of charge, donations to cover costs are most appreciated.

You'll gain skills to put into practice and get involved in the GECO citizen science campaign and have the opportunity to join surveys for threatened species that could help protect precious forests from logging.

Camping will be at the Goongerah campground, by the clear waters of the Brodrib river.

The campground has composting toilets and the GECO kitchen tent will be set up with communal kitchen gear, gas burners and a water trailer providing hot water and a sink for washing up and rainwater for drinking.

Workshops and practical sessions will focus on forest ecology, threatened species, survey techniques, remote fauna cameras, nocturnal spotlighting, Owl surveys, Frog and aquatic surveys, rainforest identification, forest carbon accounting and more.

We recommend you arrive on Friday evening (June 9th) to be ready for the start of the program on Saturday morning (June 10th). Activities will run from Saturday morning through to Monday afternoon.

GECO supplies all survey equipment but if you have powerful torches, binoculars, compass, GPS, cameras etc please bring them.

No experience or prior learning is required, just a sense of adventure and reasonable level of fitness. Walks in the forest are not on formed tracks and various obstacles and hazards will be encountered. Participants join walks at their own risk.

What to bring:

- Camping gear: tent/swag and tarp, head torch, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, water bottles/containers etc

- Warm clothing and wet weather gear

- Sturdy footwear for walking in the bush

- Gaiters or tough long pants for walking

- Food for breakfast and lunch for each day

- Money to purchase a $5 vegan meal each evening (all money goes to GECO campaign). You might also like to buy some GECO merchandise like hoodies, t shirts, posters, stickers etc.

- Fuel for your cars. Fill up in Orbost if coming from the south or Bombala if coming from the north. You need enough fuel to drive from the campground each day to field trip locations and still have enough left over to get out of Goongerah. If you have a jerry can bring it along.

Goongerah is a remote environment, no shops, no phone reception, no fuel. Be prepared.

There is a public phone box located at the community hall and internet access at the our office space (3kms from the camp)