AUSTRALIA'S SUB-ANTARTIC HEARD ISLAND - UNIQUE ASPECTS & MANAGEMENT

This remote island contains Australia’s only active volcano and its highest mountain. Take your students to Heard Island to discover its range of wildlife adapted to its very cold and windy conditions. Find out the impacts of the sealing history on the wildlife - particularly elephant seals -and understand how that impact has been a concern for present day management. Understand why Heard Island was granted World Heritage status. This unit could be used at more junior levels to see the range of wildlife by looking at the photographs. At secondary school levels attention could focus on impact of the sealing phase and the management plans of the present day. The remoteness of this island is an asset for those interested in conservation. The study of glacial retreat may provide evidence of atmospheric warming and changes in global climates. The fill-in summary pages can be used as a class screen observation and discussion.
Another possibility is to provide hard copies for individual classroom use or home studies. If you are looking for ecosystem studies of cold environments this unit would provide a useful introduction. This unit fits into the Australian curriculum at both Primary and Secondary levels. Tried and tested this unit appeals to a range of students.