Hermitage Schools Plant Science Competition

The department's Hermitage Research Facility (HRF) Schools Plant Science Competition offers engaging ways for students to gain understanding and skills in key areas identified within the Australian science curriculum. Encouraging the next generation of people who will be involved in agricultural/science careers is crucial to how we will face the future and is a key purpose of the competition.

The 2020 'Plant Health' HRF Schools Plant Science Competition opens 28 January 2020 and closes 26 June 2020.

Entries in our competition are also eligible for entry in state or territory Science Teachers Association Science Contests (for Queenslanders, the STAQ Science Contest) and the national BHP Foundation Science & Engineering Awards.

This year, we are again joining forces with QuestaGame to provide students with further opportunities to engage in real-world science. Through QuestaGame’s outdoor mobile gaming app, student’s insect, weed, plant disease and animal pest sightings will be shared with CSIRO’s Atlas of Living Australia and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility – the world’s premier collection of biodiversity records. Student's involvement will also help researchers understand how we can better manage and protect biodiversity in a changing world. This is citizen science at its best!

Major sponsors

• Queensland Government‒Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
• Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
• Grains Research and Development Corporation

Associated sponsors

• QuestaGame
• University of Queensland (Faculty of Science)
• The Crawford Fund
• Green Valley Agriculture

Supporters

• Pioneer Hi-Bred Australia
• Grains Research Foundation Ltd
• Warwick Art Gallery
• Ag Institute of Australia
• Selected Seeds
• Susan Cruickshank
• Queensland University of Technology
• John and Chris Purdie