Last October, delivery providers for the Lower Herbert Water Quality Program hosted a student field trip to welcome international students from Study Townsville to the Lower Herbert Region.
Students from James Cook University, TAFE Australia and the International School of English joined the road trip early in the morning. Their first stop was one of TropWater’s monitoring sites where HCPSL manager Adam Royle and Catalyst grower Gino Zatta showed students the sampling set-up and explained the value of catchment scale monitoring.
Next local growers and harvesting contractors Michael and Zenan Reinaudo welcomed the students to their harvesting site where the students were able to watch haulouts and sugar harvesters in action. Some of the students also had the opportunity to sit with the drivers in the machinery and ask personalised questions about the industry and processes.
A highlight for the students was to stand next to a large sugar bin collection site and taste sugar juice straight from freshly harvested cane.
After lunch, the students were invited to Sugar Research Australia’s (SRA) facilities where a “walk and talk” set-up gave the students an opportunity to connect with representatives from the various delivery providers and hear how they support sugarcane growers manage productive, financially, and environmentally sustainable farming systems. Project Catalyst extension agronomist Bethany Donker, who ran a short session on soil testing and pH, was impressed with the questions and engagement from the students as they drew on knowledge gained from earlier in the day to ask questions about amelioration and zonal application.
The field trip provided international students with practical insights into sustainable farming practices and the sugar industry. The combination of hands-on experiences, personalised interactions, and diverse activities left a lasting impression, fostering genuine interest and understanding of the sugar industry and the water quality program. One environmental science student expressed that she learnt more during this field trip than in her whole semester at JCU and will encourage her lecturer to arrange a future field trip with the whole co-hort.
International students from Study Townsville tasting freshly harvested sugar cane straight from the paddock.
Bethany Donker engaging with the students through a hands-on soil testing demonstration at the Walk and Talk section of the field trip.
Adam Royle from Project CanE welcoming the students to their water monitoring site in the Lower Herbert.
Study Townsville students, extension agronomist Bethany Donker, Leanne Carr and project coordinator Carola Bradshaw during the student field trip through the Lower Herbert.
Local grower and harvesting contractor Michael and Zenan Reinnaudo showing students their farm maps and explaining the harvesting process.
The $16.2 million program is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation with coordination support provided by CANEGROWERS Herbert River.