UPDATE: Camp will now be held 5kms past Kuark Gap, follow the directions below but continue on Greens rd for 5kms past Kuark Gap until you see the camp.
The roads here are quite muddy at the moment after the rain this week. Two wheel drives will be fine, but drive slow and take care.
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 Kuark Gap, on Greens rd in the iconic Kuark forest. See map in pinned post on this page and directions below.
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. Composting bush toilets will be on site.
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, tree climbing and more.
We recommend you arrive on Friday (November 3rd) to be ready for the start of the program on Saturday morning. Activities will run from Saturday morning through to Tuesday 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.
East Gippsland is a remote environment, no shops, limited phone reception (there is some at the camp site), no fuel. Be prepared.
DIRECTIONS:
To get there from Melbourne, travel past Orbost on the Princess highway continuing east for approx 15 kms until you reach Murrongower picnic area (if coming from Sydney, drive towards Orbost on the Princess highway, 15 kms east of Orbost stop at the Murrongower picnic ground).
Turn left off the highway onto Murrongower rd. Follow Murrongower rd until an intersection is reached with a large gum tree in the middle of the road. Turn left here onto Greens rd., Follow Greens rd for about 20 mins, passing Jack rd on your left, stay on Greens rd until you reach the camp.
