Julia the Crocodile Hunter
Donation protected
CRIKEY! I have been blessed with the incredible opportunity to be one of 10 people to join Steve Irwin's family (wife Terri and children Bindi and Robert) along with employees from Australia Zoo and a crew from Australian Geographic on a research trip this August, taking place on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. The reserve is a piece of land over 300,000 acres wide in Cape York which was established in July of 2007. Each year, the Irwins and co. spend a few weeks on the property, capturing, tagging, and releasing crocodiles to collect data on the lifestyles, diets, hunting techniques, mating habits, etc. of these breathtaking reptiles. . .and this summer (although it's technically winter down under) I could be part of the expedition!
I have always been a life-long fan of Steve Irwin; I grew up watching his "Crocodile Hunter" episodes every Sunday morning with my family, and watching Steve's infectious passion for wildlife inspired the same fervor in me. Most of my childhood was spent up in a tree or romping through the creek behind my house, overturning rocks and climbing over mudbanks to encounter any wildlife I could find. As a young adult, I even forfeited a music scholarship to William Jewell College in order to transfer to Kansas State University, where I enrolled as a biology major with a focus in wildlife and fisheries to pursue a career of "being like Steve."
I believe that this amazing privilege of participating in this trip would provide me with invaluable hands-on experience in the field, and would also fulfill a lifelong dream of mine: getting to work with my heroes, the Irwin family! I am humbled and honored to be offered a spot on a limited-availability expedition team and I want to do everything in my power to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. From August 19th to the 26th, I will be sleeping in a tent under the Australian sky, spending each day learning about the local flora and fauna, and assisting in the capture and release of several amazing crocodiles! I have been told there is even a possibility that I could be featured in a magazine article or documentary by Australian Geographic for participation in the trip.
(Check out the footage from last year's croc research trip! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB3bnn1zh1Y)
The biggest challenge keeping me from pursuing this dream is the cost: my flight to Australia will cost about $2,500 (USD) in itself, plus an additional $2,500 (USD) that I have to pay to the Australian Geographic Society, who partners with Australia Zoo as part of the research team. This fee will include my transport by car from the Weipa airport in Australia to the wildlife reserve, all food and lodging for the week, and transport back to the airport for my return flight home to the USA. As a working college student from a single-parent home, I don't have the funds to support this trip on my own, which is why I am relying on the generosity of my fabulous friends, family, and maybe even some lovely people I haven't met yet who would have it in their heart to aid me in making this dream come true.
The dues must be paid by June 30, 2015, so I have approximately three months to secure funding for this trip. I have about 1,000 friends on Facebook, so if every person donated a just few bucks each, I could be well on my way to Australia! I am also working this summer as a companion aide in a retirement community, so I will definitely be saving some of my own money from paychecks to go towards this fund.
Let me be clear: this is not solely about getting to spend a week with people that I have admired for my entire life, or simply experiencing an epic summer adventure. Conservation of wildlife has forever been a topic dear to my heart, and this is a way that I can make a big difference. Even by spending just one week in Australia, I'm sure that the knowledge and experiences that I will bring back with me to America can inspire and educate so many more people! As citizens of the world, it is our duty to get our hands dirty and DO something about the issues plaguing our planet, instead of just hearing and reading about them and hoping that somebody else will take care of it. This is my chance to gain experience to effect change, and while I believe that everyone can make a difference with or without a croc research trip, I feel that getting to participate will set me up for even bigger and better things.
By participating in this expedition and getting the experience under my belt, so many doors could be opened for me, including internships, work studies, more travel opportunities, outreach programs, and career paths. The possibilities are endless, and this is just the beginning! I am now studying to be an anthropologist at K-State, and this trip would tie together my studies at school and my interest in environmental relations. Many of my anthropology professors recommend students taking a semester or even a year to travel and learn more about what interests them, so getting this chance in the summer will complement my degree splendidly. I hope to one day use my university education to change the way that people view the natural world around them. This has always been the direction I have wanted to go with my life, and to have an opportunity like this placed directly in my lap. . .how could I say no? I've always been a dreamer, and I firmly believe that if God gave me the gift of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I should do everything in my power to see it through. I am indescribably overwhelmed and excited, and I hope you will make the choice to partner with me in this journey!
Thank you so much for your support in this endeavor! Your generosity and friendship means the absolute world to me, and I pray that someday I can return the kindness that each of you have shown me in good faith. For those of you who do make the choice to support me, I will be keeping you up to date as more events unfold. And you better believe I will be taking lots of pictures once in Australia!
Peace and love to you all.
~Julia
Terri Irwin talks about the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve
Australia Zoo team catch a crocodile on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve
I have always been a life-long fan of Steve Irwin; I grew up watching his "Crocodile Hunter" episodes every Sunday morning with my family, and watching Steve's infectious passion for wildlife inspired the same fervor in me. Most of my childhood was spent up in a tree or romping through the creek behind my house, overturning rocks and climbing over mudbanks to encounter any wildlife I could find. As a young adult, I even forfeited a music scholarship to William Jewell College in order to transfer to Kansas State University, where I enrolled as a biology major with a focus in wildlife and fisheries to pursue a career of "being like Steve."
I believe that this amazing privilege of participating in this trip would provide me with invaluable hands-on experience in the field, and would also fulfill a lifelong dream of mine: getting to work with my heroes, the Irwin family! I am humbled and honored to be offered a spot on a limited-availability expedition team and I want to do everything in my power to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. From August 19th to the 26th, I will be sleeping in a tent under the Australian sky, spending each day learning about the local flora and fauna, and assisting in the capture and release of several amazing crocodiles! I have been told there is even a possibility that I could be featured in a magazine article or documentary by Australian Geographic for participation in the trip.
(Check out the footage from last year's croc research trip! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB3bnn1zh1Y)
The biggest challenge keeping me from pursuing this dream is the cost: my flight to Australia will cost about $2,500 (USD) in itself, plus an additional $2,500 (USD) that I have to pay to the Australian Geographic Society, who partners with Australia Zoo as part of the research team. This fee will include my transport by car from the Weipa airport in Australia to the wildlife reserve, all food and lodging for the week, and transport back to the airport for my return flight home to the USA. As a working college student from a single-parent home, I don't have the funds to support this trip on my own, which is why I am relying on the generosity of my fabulous friends, family, and maybe even some lovely people I haven't met yet who would have it in their heart to aid me in making this dream come true.
The dues must be paid by June 30, 2015, so I have approximately three months to secure funding for this trip. I have about 1,000 friends on Facebook, so if every person donated a just few bucks each, I could be well on my way to Australia! I am also working this summer as a companion aide in a retirement community, so I will definitely be saving some of my own money from paychecks to go towards this fund.
Let me be clear: this is not solely about getting to spend a week with people that I have admired for my entire life, or simply experiencing an epic summer adventure. Conservation of wildlife has forever been a topic dear to my heart, and this is a way that I can make a big difference. Even by spending just one week in Australia, I'm sure that the knowledge and experiences that I will bring back with me to America can inspire and educate so many more people! As citizens of the world, it is our duty to get our hands dirty and DO something about the issues plaguing our planet, instead of just hearing and reading about them and hoping that somebody else will take care of it. This is my chance to gain experience to effect change, and while I believe that everyone can make a difference with or without a croc research trip, I feel that getting to participate will set me up for even bigger and better things.
By participating in this expedition and getting the experience under my belt, so many doors could be opened for me, including internships, work studies, more travel opportunities, outreach programs, and career paths. The possibilities are endless, and this is just the beginning! I am now studying to be an anthropologist at K-State, and this trip would tie together my studies at school and my interest in environmental relations. Many of my anthropology professors recommend students taking a semester or even a year to travel and learn more about what interests them, so getting this chance in the summer will complement my degree splendidly. I hope to one day use my university education to change the way that people view the natural world around them. This has always been the direction I have wanted to go with my life, and to have an opportunity like this placed directly in my lap. . .how could I say no? I've always been a dreamer, and I firmly believe that if God gave me the gift of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I should do everything in my power to see it through. I am indescribably overwhelmed and excited, and I hope you will make the choice to partner with me in this journey!
Thank you so much for your support in this endeavor! Your generosity and friendship means the absolute world to me, and I pray that someday I can return the kindness that each of you have shown me in good faith. For those of you who do make the choice to support me, I will be keeping you up to date as more events unfold. And you better believe I will be taking lots of pictures once in Australia!
Peace and love to you all.
~Julia
Terri Irwin talks about the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve
Australia Zoo team catch a crocodile on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve
Organizer
Julia Chestnut
Organizer
Overland Park, KS