By Daniel Brasington ’25
A professor in Australia challenged Wofford students Lilly Bridges ’26, Archer Meares ’26 and Strom Thurmond ’26 to write and publish an article on the conservation of a specific bird species. Getting the article published turned out to be the easy part. (Read their fascinating article “Through Vines and Rain: The Resilient Dance of the Tooth-Billed Bowerbird” below.)
The real challenge was the rain-drenched search for the declining species and the sense of responsibility the trio of Wofford students now carry to help tell the story of the threatened but resilient bird.
“I’d like people to read the article, but the bottom line is that we’re all a part of the same world, and we fly or fail together,” says Thurmond, a native of Aiken, S.C.
The three biology majors spent the fall semester in Cairns, Australia, studying the ecological patterns and human influences affecting the wet tropics bioregion and the Great Barrier Reef. They have learned how to read the landscape and conduct marine, terrestrial and anthropological fieldwork in a cross-cultural context. Their classroom has been constantly changing, from campsites and forests to the submerged coral cays of the Pacific Ocean.
"The coolest part of our program is how the classroom is outside, and just about every lecture is a field trip,” says Thurmond. “We have traveled through dense rainforest identifying types of flora and fauna, camped with Aboriginal people and listened to their stories around a campfire, and snorkeled at the Great Barrier Reef. It all has been such an incredible experience, and I will remember it for the rest of my life.”
All three students — studying away this fall with SIT Study Abroad — are experienced travelers and global learners, and again, each is eager to bring another perspective back to campus.
"Traveling to Bonaire last Interim to learn about marine ecology while earning my SCUBA certification really prepared me for the marine module of our SIT program,” say Meares of Columbia, S.C. “As a biology major, I'm excited to bring the field experience gained during our rainforest ecology module back to the classroom at Wofford, applying what I've learned to deepen my understanding of local ecosystems.”
Bridges, from Daniel Island, S.C., who traveled abroad last Interim to Rome, says the experience has been lifechanging, and she’s eager to share her growing passion for ecology and animal science with her Wofford friends.
“Exploring the unique ecosystems of the Tablelands, Lizard Island and Cairns City Center has deepened my understanding of Australia's remarkable biodiversity,” she says. “I have a renewed appreciation for the importance of conservation and wildlife health.”
“One factor we learned about in the rainforest was how cyclones can affect wildlife. The tooth-billed bowerbird has survived multiple cyclones throughout the years, and we applied this knowledge to write our article,” says Thurmond. “The correlation between the cyclones and the birds is fascinating, regardless of your knowledge on the topic. We encourage you to feed your curiosity and read our article.”
SIT RAINFORESTS REEFS AND CULTURAL ECOLOGY
Through Vines and Rain: The Resilient Dance of the Tooth-Billed Bowerbird
By Strom Thurmond, Archer Meares and Lilly Bridges of Wofford College
Introduction
The Tooth-billed Bowerbird (Scenopoeetes dentirostris), a unique resident of North Queensland’s rainforests, is known for its distinct courtship behavior. Males’ clear patches of the forest floor, creating display courts adorned with carefully chosen leaves to impress females. But after Hurricane Larry struck in 2006, devastating much of their habitat, concerns arose about the survival of these birds and the future of their courts.
Post-Cyclone Larry: A Rain-Drenched Search
For two days straight, we trudged through the dense undergrowth of the rainforest, soaked to the bone by rain that stubbornly refused to stop even though it was supposed to be the dry season. Every step was a challenge as we pushed through thick vines, the notorious wait-a-whiles snagging on our faces and clothes. Then there were the leeches — countless of them — attaching themselves to us as we moved deeper into the forest, but none of that mattered. We were focused on one thing: finding the courts. Relying on nothing but our ears, we homed in on any call, any sign that might lead us to an existing court — or perhaps, with some luck, an undiscovered one that would signal hope for the population.
With each call that echoed through the forest, our anticipation grew. Every new court we found meant something. There was profound proof that life was returning to the forest after the devastation of Cyclone Larry. The birds were making a comeback, re-establishing themselves in the wilderness. It was both an exhausting and exhilarating journey.
Impact of Hurricane Larry on the Population
Cyclone Larry wreaked havoc on North Queensland’s rainforests, and the bowerbirds were not spared. Before the cyclone, the number of active courts was steady, with about 20 active courts recorded across several sites from 2002 to 2005. Post-cyclone, things changed dramatically Surprisingly, in 2008, there was an unexpected jump in the number of active courts we were monitoring to 29, though this did not necessarily reflect an increase in the total number of courts. It felt like the forest was trying to bounce back all at once. Potentially, the cyclone had cleared some areas, making new spaces for courts or previously hidden courts were now easier to find.
This spike was fleeting. By 2009 and 2010, the number of courts settled back down to 20, more in line with pre-cyclone numbers. Yet, the story wasn’t simple. Over the years, we noticed a slow, gradual decline. By 2018, the count had dipped to 18, then further dropped to 17 in 2019. It was clear: while some sites were stabilizing, others were struggling to recover. Even though the numbers had not bounced back from 2008 with 29 courts, by 2024, numbers began to improve, and it seemed that the Tooth-billed Bowerbird population had begun to rebound with 20 active courts once again being recorded, although numbers still down form.
Uneven Recovery: Patterns and Court Activity
The rain and leeches didn’t deter us as we moved from one site to another, comparing old court locations with new ones. Lake Eacham, one of the key survey areas, showed some promising signs of recovery. Sites like Lakeside 1-Lakseside 6, those that had been monitored both before and after Cyclone Larry, seemed to hold their ground, maintaining a stable number of courts over the years. These locations had somehow weathered the storm, their bowerbirds resilient in the face of change.
A Glimpse of Hope Amid the Chaos
Though the journey was tough, each court we discovered gave us a sense of hope. The bowerbirds had faced devastation, and yet they continued. It wasn’t just a story of survival — it was one of resilience. The high level of activity in certain courts hinted at a bright future, even if recovery was uneven. For every site that seemed to struggle, there was another that showed remarkable strength.
As we emerged from the forest, covered in mud, blood from leeches, and a few wait-a-whiles still clinging to our jackets, it became clear: the Tooth-billed Bowerbirds had a long road ahead, but they weren’t done yet. They were still calling, still displaying, and still fighting to reclaim their place in the rainforest. As long as they kept building their courts, we’d keep pushing through the vines, rain or shine, to watch their story unfold.