CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 1998


Volunteers:

We have been overwhelmed by volunteers - most have been excellent - and the Website certainly helps.

Volunteers from July 1997 to the present (29th November 1998): 57
Interns: 4
SIT Students: 9

Building Projects Undertaken:

Garage for vehicles and material storage.
Third accommodation building.
Air-conditioned laboratory.

All are completed except for detailing, which should be completed by the end of the year.

Completion of these projects has been totally dependent on having the luck of having a stream of practically oriented volunteers, of both sexes, who pitched in, and did the main body of work.

Grants: $2,300 from WTMA - Completion of Karsten Berlin's work and purchase of two evapo-transpiration meters.

Research Projects

SIT Projects September 97:
Farmers and flying foxes - Megan McHold. Attitudes to renewable power in the Daintree - Emily Burton. Pollination of Ficus congesta - Claire Adam.

SIT Projects May 98:
Recruitment under pioneer species - Franny Elson. Ficus congesta wasp visitations - Jamie Conklin. Assessment of damage to exotic fruit crops - Lisa Kenny. Pollination of Scavola taccada - Suzanne Matwyshen.

SIT Projects Nov 98:
Comparison of biodiversity of two areas of fringing reef - Kara. Comparison of attitudes of clientele by two backpackers' resorts - Lara Gannon.

SIT, Cairns, doesn't advise students that we exist, until rather too late in their program, making it hard to let them know what projects are possible. We will try to address this, but the "hands-off" attitude of the SIT Program directors makes this hard to achieve.

Intern Projects:

August 97: Impact of impaired drainage on Palm forest. Karsten Berlin (University of Muenster).

August 98: Interactions of pollinator and parasitic wasps on Ficus congesta. Nicole Ostlander (University of Muenster).

September 98 - January 99: Trial of fertiliser application on regeneration plantings. Marie Hastrais (Belgium).

September 98 - December 98: Assessment of ground water dynamics. Till Bacherer (Berlin).

Of These:
Farmers and flying foxes - Megan McHold.
Assessment of damage to exotic fruit crops - Lisa Kenny.
Attitudes to renewable power in the Daintree - Emily Burton.

These have already been incorporated into reports, the first two, as part of the Queensland Department of Environment reports on status of spectacled flying foxes. The second was summarised for the EIAS for the proposed Daintree Power line (GH&D), and impact of impaired drainage on Palm forest. Karsten Berlin (University of Muenster) report has been delivered to WTMA.

Other Reports

Teresa, Hugh, and Chris Bennett (Daintree Rainforest Task Force) made a major submission to the Preliminary EIAS for the proposed Daintree Power line.

Relations With JCU: These were terminated very abruptly (January 1998) as a result of a reported use of letterhead paper in creating signs for a conservation rally in November 1997. John Sinclair and Dr. Lesley Clarke attended a meeting with Hugh and the Vice Chancellor of JCU, but it was fairly evident that the situation had been preplanned. A summary of the situation was printed in the Campus Review of April 1998.

The upshot has been that it became imperative that an air-conditioned lab be built at Cape Tribulation, the main concern being the expected cost. This lab would be needed to continue the research on non-lethal flying fox deterrents and, with luck, the auto track project, which was abruptly terminated by JCU. Besides, the Station is becoming large enough to require that researchers need to do biochemical and gel-electrophoresis experiments.

Besides, we also need decent storage for microscopes and such. Having an air-conditioned/filtered-air store will greatly increase our efficiency, and allow a herbarium and insect collection to be incorporated in to the Station.

Fortunately, some money was available from QDOE for development of the radar flying fox deterrent device, and Hugh was paid a salary (approximately $4,000 after taxes) plus some electronic laboratory equipment for the flying fox deterrent development (spectrum analyser and two power supplies). This has helped somewhat.

Cooperative Management Agreement (CMA): This has been signed and given to WTMA.

In return for doing what we have always been doing, revegetation of the property, we get: Luckily, we are not obliged to buy specific new items, but can beg, borrow or steal, and use the savings for other projects.

The CMA has a provision for supplying signage for our new status as Wet Tropics Interpretation Centre, including on-site signage at Dubuji.

The $9,000 will go to increasing the size of our power system (as part of the provision of a second irrigation point) - another 8 panels on a tracker that were donated by Mono pumps. I am trying to scrounge a secondhand submersible Mono pump from the sellers of our Pyramid Power system. I will probably be able to scrounge the bits for the air-conditioning for the lab, and find someone to do the refrigerator gassing (propane), but in the end a new system will be more effective.

Canopy Crane: We have no idea if this is going to be a benefit or a disadvantage. There is a lot of pressure. I am given to believe the JCU staff will use the crane, but they will be travelling to and from CT, rather than use the Station. I had Steve Turton (JCU Cairns) distribute Station brochures at the last Canopy Research Conference in Florida last month. We are also trying to get a link on the International Canopy research website, but don't know how successful we'll be.

Whatever happens we can expect no assistance from JCU, or the CRC, or promotion of our facilities to prospective researchers, here or overseas. And, we can expect continual problems with the landowners attempting to capitalise on having the crane on their land.

Money: We really are going to have to get money from somewhere, and I am currently in no position to write grants. We got $2,300 from the Wet Tropics last month, but that pot is almost empty.

Projects: We have a list of projects that must be completed, none very substantial, but things like upgrading the road to the Station is becoming critical. Dubuji contractors didn't show, as promised, to fix the road.

Directors Residence: This has to be built using secondhand materials. This year, we were very lucky to get a string of competent volunteers who could build without excessive supervision. So even if we started now, it would be at least a year down the road before it could be used. It would be more expensive - needs own bathroom/toilet.

Computer: Still no computer! Our two-power book 100's are no longer covered by warranty. Therefore, they will have to be discarded when they develop faults.

Future: We have a booking for 20 from a Boston Junior College in March 1999, a fig research group (Imperial College, UK) in January-April 1999 and again in 2000. The Boston group wants to set-up a series of permanent plots in the adjacent forest, and return each year. They are also interested in returning in July 1999!

Web Site: Very successful, but difficult to maintain. It needs a lot of "finessing". It is slow to load and isn't "tame". The pictures spill across the screen in haphazard fashion. It also it needs frequent updates. However, it is essential for our continued success.

We have access to a nature-based website from Cairns online, which was the most popular nature-based website in the area. We have it if we are prepared to upgrade it, however, I just don't have the time, and I would hate to lose that one.

Reef: The current SIT student working on the fringing reef has really opened my eyes to this lost opportunity. There is oodles of fringing reef research to be done, and there seems to be a slightly different mindset with the reef researchers in the area, or perhaps I'm deluding myself.

Minutes of the Australian Tropical Research Foundation's Directors' Meeting held at Cape Tribulation, Saturday, 8 August 1998.

Present: Hugh Spencer, Brigitta Flick, and Teresa Elizabeth (Resident Directors), and John Sinclair.

Purpose: The meeting was convened because John Sinclair was in Cape Tribulation. The meeting focused on setting directions for the Foundation. The meeting was seen as a preliminary meeting to a telephone conference to be held as soon as possible, preferably on the weekend of the 15th and 16th of August if others are available at a mutually convenient time.

Re 1996/97 Annual Report: The difficulties associated with the completion of the financial statements, resulting in the Annual General Meeting to adopt the financial statement in November, were discussed.

Resolved: To avoid the recurrence of the problems of delays in completing the statements in the future, we endeavour to progressively enter all requisite financial transactions on a computer.

The new system should operate retrospective to, 1 July 1998, if a suitable affordable computer can be found in time.

Computer: The difficulties in the lack of availability of a computer were discussed.

Resolved: John Sinclair will contact Microseconds in Sydney to establish what it would cost to acquire a secondhand Apple Laptop computer to be dedicated entirely to Austrop administration. This will be communicated to all Directors in time for our next telephone hook-up.

Resolved: If the computer could be feasibly acquired, it be dedicated exclusively to Austrop Administration, and not be available for general use in the Research Station.

Developing Accommodation Plan: It was resolved that the highest priority for the Foundation's growth and sustainable development had to be "developing accommodations for a maximum of 25 people, which would be attractive and ecologically appropriate, together with appropriate staff accommodations, elevated walkways, new amenities, and community buildings". In short, the aim was to "civilize the place".

Currently the maximum realistic accommodation is for 9 people, but this could be increased significantly with staff accommodations, and by completing the dormitory now in stages of construction.

Resolved: Hugh and the Cape Tribulation staff prepared a draft concept plan for the layout and final shape envisaged for the Research Station, as defined above and that this concept plan would prioritize the actions or stages to achieve the final outcome together, with rough estimates of the cost of the various stages.

Distractors: There was much discussion of the distractors, which had hindered the overall development of the Station. These were both the possible relocation of the station to a new site such as Cooper Creek, and the fact that the Foundation does not own the land on which the station is currently sited, which disqualifies the Foundation from some grants.

No Relocation - Resolved: We accepted that the Station will not be relocated, and that it will remain, forever, on the current site, and that it is this site, which needs to be developed. If miraculously other land does become available, this would be deemed to be an adjunct to the present facility, but not supercede it.

Ownership Of The property - Resolved: We investigated the possible transfer of ownership of the title of the land to the Foundation, while still preserving the financial equity of the current owners, Hugh, Brigitta, and Teresa. The land was estimated to be worth approximately $160,000 to $200,000.

Current developments: There are a number of building projects, which are progressing quite well, and there is a Cooperative Management Agreement, which is about to be imminently signed with the Wet Tropics Management Authority.

Air-Conditioned Laboratory: The building foundations were virtually complete and the main structure was due to arrive within days. The laboratory exterior should be finished (weather permitting) by the end of August, and it should be functional by the end of September. There is a problem that there is no appropriate furniture available to fit out the lab.

Resolved: Hugh will prepare a list of requirements to fit out the lab as soon as possible, so that we can address this problem.

Changes To Land Management And Title: The existing block is about 25 acres (8.5 hectares). Under the CMA, most of this area will be "sterilized" for further building development, and a line of demarcation will confine all future building development to a precinct of about 1.5 hectares around the existing Station buildings. Under the CMA, WTMA is proposing to pay $30,000, which includes money for an irrigation plant for the new plantings, the Bat House is to be increased by 30% in size, by enclosing the verandah and adding a new verandah as well, the Bat House will be equipped with more solar panels, and the road to the research will be partially realigned and upgraded. The agreement will be signed within the next few weeks.

Grants: There are still prospects of some grants but John Sinclair proposes to pursue a grant from the Myer Foundation, which recently gave a significant grant to the Coast and Cassowary Community Conservation group at Mission Beach. This would require some clarification of land title and the building development plan, as a prerequisite to making an application, so that the Myer Foundation could understand the specifics of just where and how the grant would be applied and the outcome, (e.g. better patronage from post-graduate researchers) anticipated from the flow.

The meeting concluded at about 6.30 pm. Minutes of the Australian Tropical Research Foundation Directors' Meeting held by Telephone Conference, Sunday, 11 October 1998.

Present: Hugh Spencer and Brigitta Flick, (Cape Tribulation), and Teresa Elizabeth, Michael Archer, and John Sinclair (Sydney).

Directors Report: Research Station Director, Hugh Spencer, reported as follows:
  1. The New Lab: The new laboratory building is about two-thirds complete. It has a roof over it, and has cost $11,000 without air-conditioning. It needs filtered air and humidity control.
  2. Accommodation Buildings: The third accommodation building which has had only a frame up for some time should have its roof on within the next few days. If this is not done, it will start to rot. (Rot has already affected some parts of the building).
  3. Volunteers: Fatima, an English girl, is pushing to help get the building done. Nichole is working on cluster figs. Dr Liliana Corridor is working vigorously advocating the close of the Daintree to Bloomfield Road. Currently there are four volunteers at the Research Station.
General Business

Building Size: The Research Station can currently accommodate 10 to 15. There was some discussion on what should be the optimum scale of development. It was thought that, we could only cater to 25 visitors plus permanent staff. There was some discussion about whether 25 visitors was a realistic figure, and it was felt that that would be the absolute limit.

Staff Accommodation: There are none still. We need at least $5,000 to buy a set of secondhand timbers to start a new building. Absence of staff accommodations makes staff inefficient with no privacy.

Quest For Grants: In August, it had been resolved that we would use a draft concept plan for the layout and final shape envisaged for the Research Station, together with priorities for the building program, together with rough estimates of the cost of the various stages. This would become the basis for seeking applications for specific funding from bodies, such as the Myer Foundation. These plans have been delayed (no time for CT staff to generate them).

Financial Report: The meeting approved the withdrawal of funds of $3,600 and $8,000 from the Gift Account (leaving approximately $4,000 in the Gift Account) This money was to partially cover the costs of the new lab and accommodation building.

Bat Research: The Australian Museum is planning an exhibition on bats in June 1999. It is not going to travel after the exhibition and the exhibit will probably be dismantled. Some of the components may be purchased after the exhibition, which could be assets for Austrop displays. The display is to open in Sydney on the 15th of June.

Promotion: It was suggested that it could be advantageous for Hugh Spencer to visit Sydney at about the time of the Bats Exhibition to promote the Foundation, and the work it is doing on fruit bats at Cape Tribulation. It was suggested that this option should be kept in mind, and a list of potential meetings, media events, and personal contacts developed to justify this.

Open Day: Another event anticipated was an Open Day at the Research Station, advertised locally and in the Cairns Post to promote research, renewable energy, and revegetation.

Internet: There was some discussion about the Internet, and see-me-see you video conferencing technology, and the NASA Rainforest Page. They want a "Live from the Rainforest" section on their web page. Unfortunately this, as ever, requires some generous person/corporation to give us the necessary software/hardware to carry this out. A camera giving us regularly updated (every minute) photos of the bat cage would, it was felt, be a hit.

The next meeting is scheduled to be another telephone conference to be organized by John Sinclair on Sunday, 29 November.