Bullarah Public School, in Kamilaroi country 65 km west of Moree, kicked off Public Education Week with a bang by inviting senior scientists in biology, agriculture and sustainability from the University of Sydney to lead a Field Study Day exploring the local environment along Goonal Creek.

Principal Mandy Austin said the special visitors certainly inspired excellence in every young and curious mind and sowed the seeds to grow future scientists, farmers, historians and researchers.

“Gomeroi / Guumbraay cultural educator Aunty Kerrie Saunders, mycologist Arisa Hosogawa and Dr Manual Tamara guided students and staff on a fascinating journey,” Ms Austin said.

“They took us past scar trees, birds' nests, native blossoms, an old drovers' bottle dump (one bottle over 100 years old!), a fox's lair, feral pig beds and rubbings, an ancient Chrysler Valiant Regal washed down by the floods, ancient grains and a silky caterpillar nest in a tree.

“Students used nets to collect tiny flying insects and specimen jars with magnifying glasses to collect a large variety of bugs in the leaf litter, along with an assortment of bones, fur, mussel shells, seed pods and scat. 

“Back at school, they used microscopes and reference books to identify and sketch their finds before releasing all the bugs back into the wild- and not Miss Fagan's classroom!

“Our start to Public Education Week was a classic example of how hands-on exploration and learning with experts can trigger interest and motivation that can last years and even lead to careers.”