IN PICTURES: Rural primary school students celebrate National Science Week at South Regional TAFE Albany

Primary school students from rural schools visited South Regional TAFE Albany on Wednesday for a program of STEM events to celebrate National Science Week.

Students took part in a range of science-based activities as part of a South Regional TAFE Albany event titled “Combining Western and Indigenous Science to Help us Undertake Responsible Caring of the Land”.

The event was part of National Science Week, a nationwide celebration of science and technology from August 13-21.

It drew students from Woodbury Boston Primary School, Golden Hill Steiner School, Denmark Primary School, Wellstead Primary School, South Stirling Primary School and Mt Manypeaks Primary School.

Menang Noongar man Larry Blight led the students in a session about Indigenous tools and how traditional custodians sustainably managed the land. Other activities included a session on feral animals from Albany and Surrounds Feral Cat Working Group’s Jenni Loveland, nest box building, a class about propogating native plants, and a laboratory session on water quality and macro-invertebrates lead by a TAFE lecturer.

TAFE conservation and ecological management lecturer Sylvia Leighton said the open day allowed students to be introduced to vocational education.

“It was interesting holding it here at TAFE, because a lot of them probably haven’t even heard of TAFE,” Ms Leighton said.

“And so one, it was exciting for them to come to Albany, but two, we told them once they come to high school, and you’ve finished Year 10, you can actually do hands-on science courses here at TAFE.”