Expeditions and field trips
Jun
29
2024
2024 Campout
Bowra Nature Reserve – 9th-13th September
The AWSRG biennial gathering will be held this year at Bowra (Australian Wildlife Conservancy) Nature Reserve in south-west Queensland.
As with our 2022 gathering at Gluepot, this will be a BYO field meeting style event, with camping only.
Toilets and hot water showers are provided for campers.
Timings:
Arrive Sunday 8th Sept. – Depart Saturday 14th Sept.
Note: Check-in at Bowra is from 2pm till 5pm daily.
Camping costs:
Powered site – 1 vehicle per site, 1 person: $30/day, additional adult $10/day. There are only two powered sites (one already taken).
Unpowered site – 1 vehicle per site, 1 person: $15/day, additional adult $10/day
Day visitors – Per vehicle $15/day
Accommodation is also available in Cunnamulla ranging from $130 to $170 per night for those that do not want to camp. However please note there is a curfew on vehicle movements within the reserve from dusk to first light, so anyone travelling to and from Cunnamulla will have to factor that in to their access.
Bookings, Payments:
There is no cost to attend from the AWSRG, only your camping fees payable to Bowra NR.
Bowra is not accepting online bookings for our gathering. Payment is by cash only on the day of arrival, so please have the correct amount with you in an envelope when checking in.
We will need to know numbers of attendees. To indicate your interest or enquire further, please contact Jeff –
mob: 0439 091 778
email: awsrgtres@gmail.com
Catering:
There will be no arranged catering for this gathering. Attendees will need to bring all food and personal supplies with them, so please think self sufficient.
There is a small bar fridge but it can only hold a certain amount. If you have a fridge in your vehicle, you’re encouraged to use that instead.
Cooking facilities are also very limited – we may have access to a small cooktop, and there is a microwave. Once again, preferable if you use cooking facilities in your vehicle.
We may purchase some morning/afternoon tea supplies collectively.
Facilities:
The shearing shed will be available to us for meetings and social events. It has 240V for charging phones, batteries etc.
The group’s data projector will be available, plus a stereo audio system. There is also a TV screen that will accept a USB input.
Presentations from members are welcomed, and can be delivered via USB stick or from your own laptop (HDMI or VGA input)
There is WiFi and internet near the shearing shed, and there is variable but good mobile phone access across the property.
Please note – there are no open fires allowed on Bowra Reserve.
Feb
21
2021
South America – A Nature Sound Journey, with Juan Pablo Culasso
Our March seminar will take us to South America, with nature sound recordist Juan Pablo Culasso.
Jan
18
2018
Huon Peninsula Soundscape, Papua New Guinea Rainforest
The Perspectives on Listening Symposium in Brisbane this last December gave me the incentive to edit up a soundscape from our recent trip to the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea.
Leah Barclay invited myself (Andrew), Tony Baylis, David Stewart, Rod Thorn and Sue Gould to form a panel to discuss the trip and how we approached our sound recording. David, Rod and Sue were unable to attend, but Tony Baylis and I showed images and contrasted our individual field techniques and results. My impression of our one hour session was that many in the audience were particularly fascinated to hear of Tony’s bioacoustic field work.
Meanwhile, I edited this soundscape as an installation on multiple headphones so participants could immerse themselves in the rainforest during breaks in the symposium program.
The edit is compiled from seven sources, each about five minutes in duration, and representing aspects of the various altitude ranges to which we trekked and recorded.
Location sources are:
A – Hill forest (~1100m)
B – Mountain forest (Camp Astrapia) (~2000m)
C – Mountain forest (Midway Camp) (~2150m)
D – Cloudforest (Camp 13) (~2800m)
Timings are for approximate transitions.
0:00 1. Predawn insect chorus with Sooty Owl, Feline Owlet Nightjar and Papuan Boobook (B)
4:20 2. Dawn chorus with Regent Whistler, Lesser Melampitta and Ornate Fruit Doves (C)
10:10 3. Regent Whistler song (B)
16:40 4. Greater Ground Robin song (D)
21:30 5. Huon Bowerbird by its bower (D)
27:10 6. Emperor Bird of Paradise, with Cicadabird and Growling Riflebird (A)
33:40 7. Dusk cicada chorus, with Papuan Woodcock dusk flight calls (D)
I’ll be publishing extended recordings for free listening on our Listening Earth website in the near future, and will post specific links here.
Nov
13
2017
Sound recording the cloudforests of Papua New Guinea’s Huon Peninsula
Five members from the AWSRG have recently been field recording in the mountain forests of the Huon Peninsular in Papua New Guinea.
With three previous years recording in the region, Tony Baylis organised and lead this year’s expedition, comprising Sue Gould and her partner Rod Thorn (who both accompanied Tony last year), plus David Stewart and myself, Andrew Skeoch.
On the trail in Papua New Guinea – (from left) Rod Thorn, David Stewart, Andrew Skeoch, Tony Baylis and Sue Gould.
Tony’s connections with the local people were crucial to the expedition. Without permission and support from local landholders we simply could not have visited these forests. We hired porters from nearby villages to assist in moving all our equipment and supplies between camps. Here they arrive at our first bush camp in the morning, ready to help us relocate further up the mountain.
Tony and Rod ascending slowly. Trekking was exhausting, a combination of altitude and a vertical landscape. Often a day’s walk with only modest altitude gains, would involve first descending into a deep valley and then climbing up a sheer slope beyond. The locals were adapted to it, padding along in bare feet, but slippery rocks, mud and hidden tree roots were treacherous in our hiking boots. We relied on our walking poles for both balance and secure footing.