The annual DAF Hermitage Research Facility Schools Plant Science Competition is open to all primary and secondary students, from years prep to 12, Australia wide.

The Queensland Government, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), Hermitage Research Facility (HRF) Schools Plant Science Competition (SPSC) began in 1997 to help celebrate 100 years of agricultural research at the Hermitage Research Facility. It offers engaging ways for students to gain understanding and skills in key areas identified within the Australian science curriculum.

The aim is to stimulate an interest in science and agriculture in young people and to promote science and agriculture as a rewarding and exciting career choice. 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.

In 2023 the Hermitage Research Facility is putting the microscope on bees to help students realise the impact of the recent Varroa Mite outbreak in NSW on the apiary industry and to discover the crucial role bees play in the viability of agricultural and horticultural industries and in supporting our very survival on this planet!

For Competition details :

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (daf.qld.gov.au)