Arrived safely onsite after a drive up from Hobart this afternoon. The weather is warm, slightly windy and overcast. It has been surreal arriving at the facility as most expeditioners were all offsite, out collecting samples. It is amazing to see the 'base' and mess hall. I introduced myself to Kate, our expedition leader and Jess, Head of Programs at Earthwatch, who were the only ones around. They showed me around initially. The 'base' has many trestle tables covered in sampling gear, microscopes, vials and bags! All the experts have set up their respective stations for observing Spiders, Moths, Snails, Lichens, and Plants.

It is a massive logistic undertaking. There is a whiteboard with photos of all the people onsite and maps of the area creating a sense of 'real' science taking place. It is great to see all the military personnel, scientists, and teachers all collaborating for a common cause of documenting the amazing diversity of life here on the North Coast of Tasmania.

Ruth, Helen and I are the invited teachers this year to help communicate this great work to students. We have arrived a few days into the expedition, so everyone else is all set up and has their equipment lying around - microscopes, pinning boards for insects, vials and other books and resources. Arriving at 1pm, the base was quiet as all the crew were out and about. Being a military base, all crews are escorted to all the different sites. Now writing this everyone is coming in from a day in the field. They are all full of smiles and exciting stories of what they have seen or collected. This is a great buzz and I am very excited to see what the week brings.