Midway Atoll volunteering the next challenge for recent IMAS graduate

At a time when most recent University of Tasmania graduates might be working, enjoying a well-earned holiday or plunging into further study, IMAS Masters graduate Madi Riley (pictured, right) will be doing something a little different.

In late September she’ll be flying to remote Midway Atoll in the North Pacific, 2000 kilometres northwest of Honolulu and 4200 kilometres southeast of Japan, where she’ll spend the next six months as a volunteer at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (MANWR).

Midway is best known for the World War Two naval battle that took place nearby. But the atoll is also an important wildlife refuge and the largest marine protected area in the world as part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), which commemorates the Battle of Midway.

Much of Madi’s time as a volunteer will be spent working with the Laysan albatross, which is found almost exclusively in the northwestern Hawaiian island chain.

“I’ll mainly be involved in habitat restoration for the Laysan albatross,” she said. “The majority of their population is there, more than one million birds.

“We’ll also be helping with the endangered Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles. We’ll be planting a lot of new trees and removing invasive vegetation.”

(Image, left, Laysan albatross on Midway Atoll. Credit Angela Hansen)

Madi’s interest in volunteering at Midway was piqued when she saw the documentary Albatross by film maker Chris Jordan, which highlights the impact that marine plastic pollution is having on Laysan albatrosses.

“Midway is in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre and the huge Pacific garbage patch, where plastic pollution circling in ocean currents has formed one of the biggest garbage patches in the world.

“Basically anything that ends up in the Pacific Ocean, if it doesn’t wash up somewhere else, there’s a good chance it’ll wash up on Midway Island.

“During my free time in Tasmania I’m constantly going to the beaches and picking up rubbish, just trying to help out.

“I think it will be quite emotional going to Midway compared with here.  The hardest thing will be seeing the chicks dying from starvation due to plastic ingestion, when the adults bring plastic back from the ocean.”

(Image, right, marine plastic pollution on Midway Island. Credit Angela Hansen)

Giving up work for six months and travelling halfway across the world is a major financial commitment, and Madi’s started a GoFundMe page to help cover some of her expenses.

After months of preparation and growing anticipation, it’s now just a few days before she leaves.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet but I’m all packed – I’m only allowed two bags for six months!

“I’m really excited to go there and to show people what’s it’s like and the environmental damage we’re doing to the world.

“I’m honoured that I’m being given the privilege to go there and help out,” she said.