School Species Survival Challenge for National Science Week 2024
12-16th August
The University of Sydney’s Learning by Doing team invites schools to participate in the School Species Survival Challenge for National Science Week 2024. This initiative offers an excellent opportunity for students and teachers to engage with nature through a Bioblitz challenge and contribute to the global citizen science app iNaturalist.
Event Overview
The School Species Survival Challenge on iNaturalist encourages students to observe different species within their school grounds. These observations contribute to the Atlas of Living Australia, a national biodiversity database, helping scientists and researchers gain valuable insights into Australia’s unique biodiversity.
Importance of Bioblitz and Citizen Science
Bioblitz events are intensive surveys of biodiversity in a specific area over a short period. They contribute to:
- Educational Value -> They provide hands-on learning experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of local ecosystems.
- Biodiversity Documentation -> They help document the presence and distribution of species, contributing to conservation efforts.
- Community Engagement -> They encourage community involvement in scientific research, promoting a sense of stewardship for the environment.
Event Details
Aligned with the 2024 National Science Week School Theme of Species Survival, this challenge invites students of all ages and experience levels to participate. Through this event, students will:
- Develop observation skills.
- Gain knowledge about local species.
- Contribute to a national biodiversity database.
The school with the most observations will win a selection of prizes, with additional prizes available for individual students. Prizes include Australian biodiversity books, binoculars and macro lenses to boost your next bioblitz observations.
Resources and Support
To ensure a smooth and enriching experience, we provide free training for teachers (how to use iNaturalist) and a bioblitz lesson plan.
Participation in the School Species Survival Challenge is completely free.
Why Participate?
Organised by the Learning by Doing team, this event aims to:
- Foster a love for science and nature among young people.
- Promote environmental awareness and conservation.
- Enhance observational and analytical skills in students.
- Spread enjoyment during National Science Week through a hands-on approach.
How to participate
Please click here to register your school.
You can also register for a training session on using iNaturalist for biodiversity monitoring, which will be available from August 5th to 9th.
We will create a project page for your school on iNaturalist as part of our umbrella project. You can encourage your students to observe the local biodiversity in and around the school for as little as 10 minutes or extend the observation period to 1 hour. Students can take photos or record sounds of species and upload these observations to iNaturalist. An adaptable lesson plan is available here.
Learning By Doing 