Capes on - biospHEROES adventure begins

It was the start of something special as 330 young minds took the first step towards being our biospHEROES of the future.

Ideas big and small were explored when 22 Sunshine Coast schools came together at the Kids in Action Environmental Projects Day at UniSC on Friday, May 5.

Funded by the Environment Levy, Kids in Action is an environmental program for school-aged children that aims to grow a culture that values caring for the natural world. 

The Environmental Projects Day was held in partnership with UniSC and was the first of three events to take place across the year.

It saw students engaged in a variety of workshops to explore the theme ‘biospHEROES: connecting, caring and co-creating the future’.

Sunshine Coast Environment and Liveabilitiy Portfolio Councillor Maria Suarez opened the event and said it was wonderful to see students connect with ideas to protect the environment.

“This year’s theme is biospHEROES: connecting, caring and co-creating the future so spending the day at UniSC was a perfect backdrop for the event and provided a meaningful connection to the theme,” Cr Suarez said.

“UniSC is a sustainability hero and the only university in the world to have campuses which span across three consecutive UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.

“The young delegates rotated through workshop activities led by a wonderful group of artists, scientists and ecologists.

“They explored topics from macroinvertebrates to koala detection dogs, worms, ecology, vibrations in nature, art, music and fungi.

“Students also spent time with Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Traditional Custodians who shared their knowledge with the students.”

UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Helen Bartlett said Sunshine Coast students from primary school to university could benefit greatly from living in a biosphere.

“We have three connected UNESCO Biospheres on our doorstep, with Sunshine Coast recently joining Noosa and Fraser Coast to create three interconnected biospheres stretching 222 kilometres. This doesn’t occur anywhere else in the world,” Professor Bartlett said.

“If a student or researcher is interested in sustainability from any perspective – that could be commerce, engineering, health, tourism or ecology – there is no better place to learn and apply those findings and make a difference in the world.

“We are proud to work with Sunshine Coast Council to ensure the community benefits, learns, contributes and continues to live sustainably in this unique corner of the world.”

Students will now select a topic to work on to showcase the ‘heroes’ of the biosphere to present to fellow delegates at the Kids Teaching Kids Conference on Wednesday, September 6.

Search “kids in action 2023” on council’s website to learn more about the program.

Key 2023 Kids in Action dates                                      

Day 1 – Friday 5 May 2023: Kids in Action Environmental Projects Day

Day 2 – Wednesday 6 September 2023: Kids in Action Conference

Schools that attended 2023 Kids in Action Environmental Projects Day

Baringa State School
Baringa State Secondary College
Blackall Range Independent School
Free2Learn Sunshine Coast Homescholing Collective
Golden Beach State School
Immanuel Lutheran College
Kin Kin State School
Maleny State School
Maleny State High School
Mapleton State School
Matthew Flinders Anglican College (P)
Matthew Flinders Anglican College (S)
Natureweavers
Noosa District State High School
North Arm State School
Pacific Lutheran College
Peachester State School
Peregian Springs State School
The River School
Sunshine Beach State School
Talara Primary College
Woombye State School