Science and Technology Fairs 2013
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. Below are the posters for each category you may like to download.
Science Fair Junior Poster (pdf 875 kB)
Science Fair Senior Poster (pdf 13.4 MB)
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 2013 (pdf 676 kB)
Check out our Living Here Kids pages about science.
Canterbury-Westland Schools’ Science and Technology Fair (Christchurch) The official website for the Christchurch hosted fair provides more detailed information about requirements and venue.
Sanford Science & Technology Fair (Timaru) The official website of the Sanford fair provides relevant and up-to-date information.
Science and Technology Fairs 2012
Christchurch
Junior (Years 7-8)
1st: Lorna Pairman, Cashmere Primary
Lorna's project, ‘Biodegradable… or not’ compared plastic bags specifically labelled as biodegradable or recyclable to determine just how long it would take for them to decay in soil. The judges all agreed that Lorna had put a lot of forethought and planning into her experiment and were pleased hear she had more research planned.
2nd: Matthew Hadler, Darfield High
Matthew's project looked at environmentally friendly edible bowls as an alternative to plastic. He took some time experimenting with different materials to determine how long they could hold both hot and wet foods. The judges thought his innovative ideas had potential wuith further r and d.
3rd: Tomo Dorrence, St Joseph’s School
Tomo's study of the Clean Heat rules versus individual health perceptions provided an interesting challenge to Environment Canterbury. Commissioner Caygill spent some time talking with Tomo about his findings and encouraging him to continue his investigations for a longer time.
Senior winners (Years 9-13)
No first prize was awarded in 2012
2nd: Samantha Tait, Lincoln High School
Samantha’s project ‘Pitter, Patter, Potable?’ was designed to see if rainwater collected from ordinary home roofs is contaminated to the point it would be unsafe to drink. She tested her samples against the New Zealand drinking water standard but came to no conclusive results, realising she needed more specific testing than what she was able to undertake within the time constraints. Our judges felt, however, that her science was good and the concept promising.
3rd: Rowan McCornish, Christchurch Boys' High School
Rowan investigated whether different levels of nitrate affect the rate of algal growth. Commissioner Caygill enjoyed talking with Rowan about his experiments and encouraged him to take his investigation fruther and refocus to a solutions based outcome.
Timaru
Junior (Years 7-8)
1st: Emma Jansen, Hinds School
A desire to 'Be Safe: Be Seen' while out cycling on rural roads was the impetus for Emma's design and technology project. The judges were impressed by Emma's tenacity in gathering relevant information over time to determine the best reflective materials for a variety of light conditions while also designing a 'cool' reflective packback cover. Emma was also very competent in explaining her process and in articulating possible next steps.
2nd: Micaela Cooper, St Joseph's, Timaru
Encouraging more children to walk to her school was the aim of Micaela's project. She designed and tested a range of reward systems and then rolled out the most succesful into her school. She has noted an increase in the number walking each day.
3rd: George Gray, Waihi School
George wanted to reduce packaging waste so undertook a very thorough experiment using a variety of packing materials and an egg placed inside a self designed and built box. This quirky and effective project caught the eye of our judges.
Senior winners (Years 9-13)
1st: Estelle Arundel, Craighead Diocesan School
Estelle's project was inspired by a Time magazine article about ecological handprints rather than ecological footprint. The idea of measuring people's action for a better future enthused her more than measuring the negative impact people are having on the planet. Estelle put together some ideas for action and interviewed a random selection of people tod etermine their willingness to make a difference. Our judges were impressed by Estelle's articulate passion for the positive outcomes of the handprint and her careful analysis of her data.
Hearld Article Wrybill Trophy November 2012
2nd: Kelly Clifford and Natalie Gajdusek, Craighead Diocesan School
Designing a Disaster seemed like an ominous title for a project given what Canterbury has been through! This dynamic duo aimed to make it easier for people to get through a disaster by designing a safety kit that could be effective stored and easily accessed by people trapped in an urban setting. They surveyed retailers and shoppers and from that information designed a kit and a safe box in which to store the materials.
3rd: Anna Ou, Craighead Diocesan School
Anna was concerned about the amount of good potable water being wasted, just 'Flushed Away' as the title of her project captured. In her project, Anna tested two different toilet flush systems and compared prices before presenting a proposal to her school's board.
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.
Give a hand for the future - the Wrybill Trophy for 2012 ...
... awarded to Estelle Arundel of Craighead Diocesan School. Well done, Estelle!
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, have submitted portfolios of their work over the three years of the award's existence.
Each of the applicants for the awards illustrate just how varied the activities youth engage in are: 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 students, to taking on the managers of a mall about their waste management practices. 
The 2012 award ceremony was held on 27th September 2012 with Deputy Chair of Environment Canterbury, David Caygill, and Kaiwhakahaere Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, Mark Solomon presenting the certificates to recipients. The ceremony was held at Matthew Fraser House, ECan's headquarters.
Prize winners 2012
Certificate of Excellence for an individual making a difference.
Rachel Cottam, Lincoln High School [Prize: tramping pack, gift vouchers from Trade Aid and Bivouac worth $100]
Rachel also attended the 2012 NZAEE conference in Hamilton as a youth rep and is currently contributing to the development of the 2014 conference to be held in Christhcurch. She is also involved with the national youth organisations like Regeneration Network and 350 PowerShift. Rachel won the supreme award at the recent Science Fair with her investigation into the effect environment has on the taste of pig meat.
She is determined to make a positive difference for all our futures and will study at Lincoln University toward a Bachelor of Environmental Management. Her teacher describes Rachel as a versatile, well-rounded student with great leadership qualities.
Category – Group: Any group of 13-18 year olds within Canterbury
1st: Recycling in Christchurch Malls [Prize: vouchers for 10 people to the Ko Tane Maori Experience at Willowbank]
This group have been working on a project aimed at bringing better waste management practices to Westfield Mall in Riccarton. Their simple, but effective action has gained media attention; they are continuing to lobby for change at Westfield. Our judges felt that their project has the potential to create long term change within a commercial entity and also raise awareness of waste issues amongst the public. Their YouTube video captures the fun they had drawing attention to the issue of waste and recycling in malls.
2nd: Rudolf Steiner Enviro Group [Prize: $100 Bivouac gift voucher]
Steiner is an EnviroSchool. This group aims to leave a legacy for students coming after them. They have improved the school’s waste system, worked to reduce the school’s carbon footprint, held a bake off for fair trade week and are looking to the future hoping to gain Silver ES.
3rd: Lincoln Enviro Council [Prize: bag of Trade Aid goodies valued at $50+]
This group gained a place in our first youth awards in 2010. They have maintained the momentum of past groups and are truly a catalyst for change within the school. This year they have focussed on trialling a new recycling system in collaboration with school’s maintenance staff and on taking their Earth Hour activities to a new level.
For further information on the 2012 award recipients, please contact Jocelyn at jocelyn.papprill@ecan.govt.nz.
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. 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 2013 are 28 April -2 May, and will be held here in Christchurch. Further information can be found at www.sirpeterblaketrust.org
Download flyer (2 MB)