Each year, The George Alexander Foundation supports fellowships for secondary school students in years 10-12 to participate in Earthwatch Australia’s Student Challenge.

In April 2025, the Foundation's Program & Partnerships Manager Brad Shrimpton travelled to Calperum Station, joining several fellows on the Student Challenge expedition. The expedition brought together driven young people from across Australia to work with experienced environmental scientists and explore the world of ecology through hands-on opportunity on a live research site – giving them a first-hand experience of what it takes to be a real ecologist.

Located in South Australia, Calperum Station was established in the nineteenth century during the peak of the state’s pastoral industry. Farmers transported droves of sheep and cattle through the area on their way to sell the livestock in Sydney and Melbourne. This livestock boom meant that the hooves from these animals degraded the land and led to significant flooding events, which increased the salinity of the land.

Calperum Station’s eroding landscapes meant that the area could not sustain foliage and became increasingly arid. However, this means it is an ideal site for our budding young scientists to tackle issues of land degradation, land restoration and conservation.

Led by two PhD students living and working at Calperum, our Student Challengers learned about ecological research methods, engaged with working conservation practices, and collaborated on ecological projects. The weeklong expedition saw students involved in:

Birdwatching

Students went birdwatching every day at dawn and dusk. They got familiar with the bird species in the area and learned about the other types of animals that inhabited Calperum Station.

Density-mapping

Mapping out the density of the bushes allowed students to pay close attention to the flora to see what has been eaten, what has dried out, and what has been flourishing – providing our students with a close look into understanding the ecological system of Calperum Station.

Brainstorming

Based on the data they collected, students were tasked with coming up with novel solutions to the real-life problems the researchers at Calperum Station were facing. Students banded together to choose one specific problem and brainstorm ways to tackle the problem, how to measure the problem in the future, and be mindful of the potential side effects their proposed solution could have on Calperum’s ecology.

Other than seeing a rare albino wallaby, one of the best things Brad witnessed was the determination and commitment our Student Challengers exhibited. Having worked long hours under the South Australian sun, the students’ focus and commitment never wavered. Moreover, while all the students were nervous coming into an unfamiliar environment at the start, within the first couple of days, the students became great friends. They worked collaboratively and encouraged each other’s unique passions for environmental science.

Taking students out of their typical classroom scenario and having them experience real-life research activities in this expedition certainly fuelled their fire. Only halfway through the expedition some students said they became certain of their future ambitions to become a zoologist, a palaeontologist, and even a marine biologist.

We look forward to seeing how these young research assistants grow to become future environmental leaders.