Museum on the hunt

Queensland Museum Media Release, Museum on the hunt for budding scientists, 20 August 2015

Queensland Museum is on the hunt for budding scientists to assist with important environmental work across the State.

The Museum is putting the call out to year seven students throughout Queensland to take part in its Queensland Museum Natural Leaders challenge to help with understanding and protecting the State’s unique biodiversity.

Biodiversity refers to the variety and interconnectedness of plant and animal life that exists in a particular habitat.

The Queensland Museum Natural Leaders challenge, presented by BHP Billiton will ask students to address a local biodiversity challenge in a short video, with most outstanding entry earning a year of exciting opportunities as well as an amazing prize kit.

Queensland Museum Network CEO and Director, Professor Suzanne Miller says Australia is a mega-diverse country and part of a group of 17 countries in the world that contain over 70 per cent of earth’s species.

“In terms of plant species, we are the fifth most diverse country in the world and in terms of reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals we are the most diverse in the world.

“So it’s really important that young people, our future leaders, are involved now in helping to understand, protect and preserve our unique biodiversity,” she said.

The Queensland Museum Natural Leaders challenge, presented by BHP Billiton is open to all Queensland year seven students until 5 October 2015. Find out how to enter at www.qm.qld.gov.au/naturalleaders

The Challenge
Look closely at the plants and animals in your local area.
Imagine what you want your local biodiversity to be like ten years from now. Tell us what that future looks like and what you can do today to help make it a reality.
Share your ideas in a short film of two minutes or less, fill in the online entry form and upload it to be in to win.

Prizes

The most outstanding entry will:

• Be crowned the ‘Queensland Museum’s junior correspondent on biodiversity’ for 2016
• Receive a GoPro action camera and accessories pack
• Spend a day on location with Network Ten’s Totally Wild Crew
• Get a two-day customised behind-the-scenes experience at Queensland Museum
• Spend a day in the field with BHP Billiton environmental scientists
• Have the chance to deliver a speech at the opening of a new Queensland Museum biodiversity exhibition in late 2016
• Have your articles and photos about biodiversity published
• including getting you and your work featured in a Totally Wild episode
• Meet Ranger Stacy – one of our expert judges
• Plus much much more!

* For runner up and entry prizes see the website
Entry and Judging criteria and full terms and conditions are at www.qm.qld.gov.au/naturalleaders
Parents or Guardians must give permission to enter.