GETTING A LITTLE BIT ANTSY

PARRAMATTA Park State School STEM Academy students are participating in a citizen science project in collaboration with the Wet Tropics Management Authority Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program and James Cook University.

The project looks at collecting and analysing data on yellow crazy ants which are an invasive pest in the Cairns region.

Eradicating this pest is very important for conserving our Wet Tropics World Heritage Area which is the second more irreplaceable place on earth.

Students are learning how to identify the ants under microscopes, place lures, use

GPS’s and how to develop an app to educate the community about yellow crazy ants.

The field morning, hosted by Wet Tropics Management Authority staff, marked the start of the project.

Picture: Romy Photography Year 2 student Rafaella, a STEM Academy student from Parramatta Park, with Jules Seabright from Wet Tropics looking at the yellow crazy ants.