The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) has congratulated Queensland students prominent in a national science competition to celebrate the International Year of Plant Health.
Competition Coordinator for DAF, Kerrie Rubie said the students from Queensland schools won prizes in the Hermitage Schools Plant Science Competition.
Ms Rubie said more than 1,800 students from Prep to Year 12, representing 100 schools from around Australia, took up the challenge to describe why plant health was the key to the survival of life on Earth.
She said the high quality of science and art entries showed that the future of science and agriculture was in good hands.
“The students showed great interest learning about the importance of plant health in an agricultural setting,” Ms Rubie said.
The major prize winners from Queensland schools were:
Senior Science Award (Years 10-to-12): Michelle Springolo, Groves Christian College of Distance Education, Toowoomba.
Junior Science Achievement Award (Years 7-to-9): Thomas Johnson, Faith Christian School of Distance Education, Rockhampton.
Outstanding Achievement Award (Years Prep-to-6): Ezra Johnston, Faith Christian School of Distance Education, Gailes and Liam Brockhurst, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Brisbane.
As part of the competition, students had to research three constraints to the plant health of a field crop in a developing country, with plant and ocean health the focus of the Art in Agriculture section.
Queensland schools who won major science and art prizes included Glasshouse Christian College, Sunshine Coast; Centenary Heights State High School, Toowoomba; Groves Christian College of Distance Education, Toowoomba; and Faith Christian School of Distance Education.
Also successful were Bowen State High School; Scots PGC College, Warwick; Kurwongbah State School; St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Brisbane; and Gilhooly Homeschool, Brisbane.
