2021 Shorebirds Competition Summary and Results

The ANSTO Education Team was proud to host the fourth annual Shorebirds Competition for primary students in Years 3 to 6. Students across Australia were invited to create an ecotourism poster for a wetland or coastal area that provides an important habitat for shorebirds and other animals. They could highlight a local area or one in their State or Territory. Their poster had to encourage people to want to visit the area, to appreciate and help conserve its natural beauty and the shorebirds that live there.

There were categories for schools and individual entrants. Lesson plans for teachers were provided, linked to the Australian Curriculum for Science, Geography and English. Information sheets for students on shorebirds and wetlands were also available. More information about the competition and educational resources can be found on the competition page.

Entries were received from 55 postcodes across all six States and the Northern Territory (see competition website). Nearly 1200 students across the nation participated. Schools could submit 5 entries per class and 256 entries were received from 29 schools. An additional 64 entries were submitted by individuals, bringing the total number of entries received to 320. This was a pleasing response given the large disruptions in learning caused by the Covid pandemic.

Many important habitats were highlighted across the country – see the interactive map below. These included wetlands listed by The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.

We thank all our participating students and schools and give special thanks to the many dedicated parents and teachers who created a conversation around this topic and inspired children to learn and achieve.

We gratefully acknowledge The Overwintering Project, a project for adult artists, as the source of inspiration for this competition and for their continued support. This important project raises awareness of our migratory shorebirds and their habitats across Australia.

We also gratefully acknowledge Greater Sydney Local Land Services and the Swan Estuary Reserves Action Group Inc. for sponsoring local area prizes for Botany Bay, NSW, and the Swan River Estuary, WA, respectively.

Interested in next year's competition?

Individuals Expression of Interest

Schools Expression of Interest

For enquiries, please contact [email protected]

ANSTO contributes world-class environmental research on wetlands. Read more about Recent ANSTO research on waterbirds and wetlands.

Winners Y3-4 Individuals

Highly Commended Y3-4 Individuals