Science and Technology Fairs 2012
Environment Canterbury staff judge exhibits in the special category of Resource Management in the Science and Technology fairs held in Christchurch and Timaru. Awards are given to students whose exhibits take an innovative investigative approach to solving an environmental issue facing Canterbury.
There are 2 categories: Years 7-8 and Years 9-13.
Did You Know...??
It's possible to also gain NCEA credits while working toward a science and technology presentation.
Prizes:
Winning exhibitors receive $500 for their school.
Students receive:
- $400 1st place
- $150 2nd place
- $80 3rd place
Senior students [Years 12 and 13] are also offered work experience
Download our Teacher Information Pack 2012 (pdf 676 kB)
Check out our Living Here Kids pages about science.
Canterbury-Westland Schools’ Science and Technology Fair (Christchurch) 26-27 August, 2012
The
official website for the Christchurch hosted fair provides more detailed information about requirements and venue.
Sanford Science & Technology Fair (Timaru) 11-13 Sept, 2012
The official website of the Sanford fair provides relevant and up-to-date information
Student's Science Success
Find out about how Heather Neill’s 2011 science fair project progressed.
Heather’s media release ‘Realise to Dream’ (9.6 kB)
Heather’s media release describing her experience about the National Genesis Energy Realise The Dream Science Event.
Weka Mecca Summary by Heather Neill (33.9 kB)
Project Aim: To investigate the use of a modified detection device to deliver poison as a means of controlling and monitoring possums without posing a risk to indigenous ground birds, specifically weka.
Science and Technology Fairs 2011
Christchurch
Junior (Years 7-8)
First: Johan EzterhuizenHome schooled
'Further for fuel’
Johan made a dry cell hydrogen generator to improve a car’s fuel efficiency. His enthusiasm for his project impressed the judges (and the Commissioners when he presented at the Wrybill Ceremony in late September) and he has been encouraged to take his idea further by linking up with scientists already working in this field in Canterbury.
Dinuki Karunasekera
Cobham Intermediate
'Balance, you and our environment'
Third
Sophie Lee
Kirkwood Intermediate
'There's something in the water'
Senior winners (Years 9-13)
No first prize was awarded in 2011
Second
Heather Neill
Lincon High School
‘Weka Mecca’ - Heather investigated what carrier for poison would be the best at attracting the pest while ensuring the inquisitive weka is unable to eat it.
Third
Finn Lee
Lincoln High School
‘Exhaust filter for a motorbike’ - A passion for motorbikes and the environment ignited Finn's search for a way to reduce emissions.
Timaru
Junior (Years 7-8)
First
Blair Smith
St Joseph's School, Timaru
'Waste or What?'
Blair became concerned about the amount of plastic tape left lying around on rugby fields after a game. He worked out a cheaper alternative to gaffer tape for rugby players keen to stop their laces getting loose or hooked. Blair’s elastic bands lasted for a full playing season and were much cheaper than plastic tape, with no litter left behind.
Second
Emma Kelly and Micaela Cooper
St Joseph's School, Timaru
"Reflective Rethink
Third
Amanda Knipe
Grantlea Downs School
'Save the trees'
Senior winners (Years 9-13)
First
Bronte Davenport
Craighead Diocesan School
'Timaru's Blue Gold'
Bronte entitled her project 'Blue Gold' because she believed that water is precious as gold but is too often wasted by people. Her project investigated how households could capture water from their roofs and hold it on their property. She felt that this was particularly useful for those with a garden and during times of emergency when reticulated water amy be cut off.
Second
Tessa Adolph
Craighead Diocesan School
'Plastic Fantastic - yeah, right!'. Tessa's concern for the amount of plastic in our oceans and their impact on aquatic species sparked the idea for her science fair project.
Third
Andrew Tiffen
Ashburton College
'Take that you dirty rat'. Andrew developed an automatic re-setting rat trap, which could also catch stoats and required minimal maintenance once placed in the wild.
The Wrybill Trophy
Each year, the winners of the Environment Canterbury School Award category present their exhibits at special council meeting at Environment Canterbury, Christchurch. The overall winner is awarded the Wrybill Trophy, the best of the best!
The Wrybill Trophy is open to those students who gained first place in the Environment Canterbury Resource Management School Awards in both the junior and senior categoies at the Christchurch and Timaru science and technology fairs.
Water harvesting investigation wins Wrybill Trophy 2011
Bronte Davenport, 14, of Craighead Diocesan School, won the Wrybill Trophy for 2011 for her investigation into rainwater harvesting in Timaru. Bronte became interested in the topic of rainwater harvesting after reading a magazine which featured the green/living roof idea in a Melbourne house. She surveyed 30 people in Timaru to see if any had a rainwater tank in their back yards – none did, although 25 of them were interested.
Judge Jon Hickford noted the value of having an on-site water supply during the post earthquake weeks in his hometown of Lyttelton, where a spring on his property supplied 200 households. Bronte pointed out the large amount of water which is used to flush toilets and water gardens by householders. A rainwater tank on-site could dramatically reduce water consumption for these non-drinking uses.
Bronte won the Wrybill award three years earlier with a walking school bus project. Chair of commissioners Dame Margaret Bazley commended all the finalists for their hard work and dedication. “It is people like you who are making a difference and will continue to do so in the future,” she said.
Youth Leadership for Sustainability Awards
Encouraging the next generation of sustainability leadership.
These awards are sponsored in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
The Youth Leadership for Sustainability (YLS) award has two categories - individual and group. A number of Canterbury young people, who have been making a difference in our communities and schools, submitted portfolios of their work for the 2011 awards. [For information on the 2012 Awards see below]
The applicants for the awards illustrated just how varied are the activities youth engage in: from developing an over arching sustainability strategy for a school through to a mainland kiwi recovery project to raising awareness of climate change issues among Pacifica stduents. The judges were impressed with the calibre of the submissions and found it extremely hard to choose the three prize winners in each category. 
The award ceremony was held on 29th September 2011 with Commissioner Chair, Dame Margaret Bazley, and Kaiwhakahaere, Mark Solomon presenting the certificates to recipients. Due to the earthquakes the ceremony was held at the new Lincoln Events Centre.
Prize winners 2011
Category – Individual: Any student in Years 12-13
1st: Matthew Young, Lincoln High School
Matthew is the leader of Lincoln High School Enviro Council and has worked on water quality monitoring, in particular of their local Liffey Stream. He has also been actively developing a school wide anti-littering campaign and regularly publishes enviro statistics in the school notices. Outside of school he also works on social projects supporting people with Autism and Down’s Syndrome.
2nd: Keziah Smith, Aranui High School
3rd: Jenny Burns, Cashmere High
Tiperia from Aranui recieves Keziah's prize for her.
Category – Group: Any group of 13-18 year olds within Canterbury
1st: Nina Valley Restoration Group, Hurunui College
Anna Clark, Ben Keeble, James Tweed & Ella Crean represented the group at the ceremony. This group of 25 active students this year released five juvenile kiwis into the valley. The team look after them by monitoring progress and changing their transmitters. They have established two new trap lines which they check for predators every three weeks. So far this season they have trapped 150 predators such as stoats, rats and hedgehogs. They also checked the predators’ stomach contents and found mostly mice in the stoats' stomachs last season, but more insects in recent catches.
2nd: Aranui High's P.I. Changemakers team
3rd: Cashmere High School's EfS 301 group
For further information on the 2011 award recipients, please contact Jocelyn at jocelyn.papprill@ecan.govt.nz.
The Awards in 2012.
We recommend that young people interested in submitting portfolios of work to the judging panel begin that process now. Applications are due August 6th, with the awards ceremony on September 6th, 2012. Venue TBA.
Brochure (pdf 3MB)
Poster (pdf 608 kB)
Application form (pdf 315 kB)
Youth Enviroleaders' Forum – The Sir Peter Blake Trust Award
Annually a group of students from Canterbury are selected from a pool of applicants to represent the region at this 4-day hui. This year (2012), whilst still being similar in format to previous years, the Forum is running as a pre-expedition selection camp for the Kermadecs and is very much geared towards Kermadecs/Marine Reserve/EEZ Legislation/Water issues and activities. Participants will engage in workshops and activities designed to inspire them and build their leadership capabilities.
Applicants need to be aged 15-18, involved in their school and/or community, passionate about, and want to make an active contribution to, the environment. If you have any questions about this event or the selection process please email hannah@sirpeterblaketrust.org
Event dates for 2012 are:
15 – 19 April – Sir Peter Blake Youth EnviroLeaders’ Forum (Auckland, Whangarei and the Poor Knights)
8 – 19 August – Young Blake Expedition to the Kermadecs (with 6 – 7 August pencilled in as preparation/quarantine clearance days in Auckland)
Applications are now open, and must be received at the Trust by
5pm on
Friday March 2nd.
Expedition flyer Expedition application
Further information can be found at www.sirpeterblaketrust.org