Join us over the Grand Final long weekend for GECO's spring citizen science survey camp. Learn from the dedicated and passionate ecologists and activists at GECO whose citizen science campaign is saving forests from logging.

You'll gain skills to put into practice and get involved in the GECO citizen science campaign.

We've only just announced this at short notice as we have to postpone the planed Melbourne Cup Weekend Camp due to circumstances beyond our control. This camp will be small but were planning a large one in December for a week!

Camping will be at our new environment centre, known locally as "The Roadhouse". There are plenty of grassy camp sites, all accessible by two wheel drive cars. We will use the centre for workshops and presentations.

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.

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 a reasonable level of fitness. Walks in the forest are often not on formed tracks and various obstacles and hazards will be encountered. Participants join walks at their own risk.

Camp facilities:

The site has a composting toilet, drinking water and a sink for washing dishes.

We will have the GECO kitchen tent set up with communal gas burners, cooking pots and pans, bowls, cups and cutlery etc. Evening meals will be provided but you need to supply your own breakfast and lunch. Kitchen will be available to use each morning for breakfast, lunch will be eaten in the bush on field trips.

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 bur 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.

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. 

Itinerary:

Thursday night: Arrive at camp

Friday - Mid morning introductory forest walks, evening introduction to spotlighting and frogging sessions

Saturday - Workshops, presentations, forest walks

Saturday night - Nocturnal Spotlighting

Sunday - Workshops and forest walks

Monday - Forest walks

Read about our previous survey camps here:

July 2016      March 2016       January 2016       December 2015