Day 2 of the Art-science BioBlitz at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve
Fortunately, the rain eased overnight and was just showery, so we all were able to get out into the forest more and work with the trees.
My tree for Day 2 was Dala (tree 4). Dala is the Jinibura name for Staghorn, and the tree certainly had quite a few epiphytes that could be seen from the ground.
I spent the morning drawing at the base of the tree. I also watched Ann Moran and her team doing a plant survey, identifying and counting the plants around the dripline of the tree to establish what sort of species germinate and live there which also reveals bird movements (given their role in spreading seed).
After lunch, it was my turn to 'go up a tree'. I had the awesome privilege of being hauled up Tree 3 (Mook Mook), the Ghost Tree. I'm not fond of heights and had some reservations as I went up, but it was so amazing I was quickly distracted from the fact I was dangling at over 40metres up. Plus I knew I was in the very capable hands of the tree climbers so I could literally sit and relax in my harness. I took lots of photos but spent most of my 20 minutes up there enjoying the view.
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| Looking the part.... |
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| Hanging on, though I'm actually sitting in a fork of the tree |
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| a Bird's Nest fern halfway up, I stopped for a good look |
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| I couldn't actually see the ground as it was hidden by the canopy of the rest of the forest, so that made it really easy to ignore how high up I was. |
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| My climbing chaperone Matt climbed up further to get this wonderful photo, almost makes me giddy looking at it! |
Next Blog Post: Day 3 of the BioBlitz
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