CALENDAR T O MAKE SPLASH
SHOP shelves at this time of year are often laden with saucy calendars, ideal as Christmas stocking fillers.
Not one to miss out, Townsville university students have slipped into sexy swimwear to help protect the Great Barrier Reef.
James Cook University aquaculture student Rachel Elmira came up with the idea of creating a swimwear calendar to make science sexy.
“I was volunteering at AIMS ( Australian Institute of Marine Science) when I got the idea of creating the calender,” Ms Elmira said.
“We will give 50 per cent of profits to GBR Legacy.”
The GBR Legacy says it operates the Reef’s only independent research vessel, and works with scientists and students to study the decline of coral reefs.
Ms Elmira, 23, of Hermit Park, said she was determined to get the calendar printed by Christmas but was challenged by university students’ biggest enemy – a lack of funds.
“We have two more photos to take,” she said.
“We started two months ago and it was kind of touch and go since. I’ve been running around like a chicken without its head.”
Ms Elmira said the photographer and models were all local university students.
“It’s like a little start- up. We even got one of the local make- up artists to do our make- up,” she said.
“Most of them were taken on the beach, like at The Strand and Pallarenda – most of them were taken around Townsville.”
Ms Elmira said once the calendars were printed they would be available for order online.