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Press Release
Taroona Students Take Up the Challenge to Save the Tassie Devil
16 May 2008
Twenty-three Tasmanian students have been chosen to participate in the National Geographic Kids School Challenge and lend a helping hand to our insurance populations of Tasmanian devils.
The Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, Paula Wriedt, announced Taroona Primary as the winner of the National Geographic Kids Challenge, coinciding with Black and White Day, the annual Tasmanian devil awareness and fundraising day.
Taroona Primary’s grade 4/5 students – Georgia Bombardieri, Sam Dharmawardena, Catherine Krueger, Kane Ledger, Celeste Mackintosh, Josh Mahy, Oliver Markey, Fergus McShane, Jessie Mount, Sophie O'Donovan, Emma Reeve, Henry Rushton, Anton Smit, Zane Ahern, Henry Beckitt-Curwen, Mollie Berry, Lauren Bridge-Wright, William Connor, Megan Kuliszewski, Sam Rice, Narnia Sinclair, Maddyson Smith, and Alastair Tolond – have been selected to pair up with 15 American students from the National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge and together they will kick-start fundraising projects to help the endangered Tasmanian devil.
Ms Wriedt said the students were chosen based on the depth of their research into the needs of Tasmanian devils in captivity, the quality of their design for an enclosure, their plan for raising money and their engagement with the wider community.
“The National Geographic Kids Challenge participants will be focusing their efforts on addressing the needs of captive devil populations state-wide.
“Devils are being held and bred in captivity as insurance against the extinction of the species. It is therefore important that these animals have safe, comfortable and stimulating enclosures.
“The provision of trees and shrubs is imperative in providing a natural stimulating environment for these vital populations,” Ms Wriedt said.
The Tasmanian and American students will meet face-to-face later this year when the National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge arrives in Tasmania.
“Together they will break ground on 25 July – Planet Ark’s School Tree Day – and plant some of the trees they have helped to purchase,” Ms Wriedt said.
Tasmania was chosen by National Geographic Kids as the destination for the 2008 Challenge following meetings in the United States earlier this year as part of G’DAY USA.
The Challenge is being facilitated by Tourism Tasmania working together with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, National Geographic Kids, Planet Ark and wildlife parks around the State.
“Together with Nature Nic, I’m urging everyone to look out for fundraising activities and ways that you can support this wonderful project,” she said.
Nature Nic is 9-year-old Tasmanian Nic Bonnitcha, who founded Black and White Day in 2007.
“Nature Nic is spending Black and White Day at Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, where he’ll be spreading the word about the Tasmanian devil cause and the challenge ahead for those researching a cure for the disease.”