Science week, soil and soup!

Darcy Vickers
Education Officer, Forest Education Foundation

Students from Scottsdale High School in north east Tasmania stepped into the shoes of Forestry Tasmania’s forest planners as part of a Science Week Project last week.

The program, run by the Forest Education Foundation and Forestry Tasmania, allowed the students to experience a range of activities and hands-on science projects in the native forests and plantations of the Bass District.

The students started the action-packed week by investigating soil types, exploring the complex science behind plantation development in different areas. Any opportunity to get further covered in mud was also cheerfully pursued on the next day, when the rain failed to dampen spirits as several experienced foresters and planners from Forestry Tasmania led an excellent range of hands-on activities. Despite the enthusiasm for the plot assessment, tree measuring and GPS mapping, the soup and sausage sizzle at lunch was possibly the most popular event of the day!

The visit to a harvesting site that afternoon was also of particular interest to the students, who spent an hour or so talking to the contractors and operators on site. A trip to the Design Centre - Tasmania in Launceston completed the intensive program, with the reward for all the hard work being a trip through the Treetops at the Hollybank Reserve - identifying trees all the way round, of course!

Your school can also become involved in Forest Education Foundation activities. We run hands-on workshops in the National Forest Learning Centre in Hobart, offer field excursions to the forests, and can even bring our programs to your classroom. Our programs are tailor-made for both primary and secondary students. For more information, visit www.forest-education.com or call 03 6235 8240.