In the second last week of the year, I got the opportunity to attend the Santos Science Experience at the University of Tasmania.  This came about thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Youngtown who sponsored my place in this learning program.  Over three days I mixed with other students from the north of the state who are interested and passionate about all things Science.  The program was run by supervisors from a range of scientific fields organised through the University.

My favourite experiences included the Aboriginal Science walk where we learnt about all the different sciences Aboriginal people understood and utilised in their everyday life.  Being allowed to visit the QVMAG to see one of the largest butterfly collections in Australia, was also a highlight.  I also learnt about Chemistry, Haematology, Pathology and so much more. 

The best part of the program was how ‘hands-on’ it was.  Every day we got to do practical activities that related to what we were learning about.  The biggest learning that I took away from this experience was how important it is for scientists to be multi-disciplinary in their studies, because this allows you to be able to understand and appreciate problems from a range of perspectives, which in turn leads to better solutions.

I am very grateful to the Rotary Club of Youngtown for this valuable opportunity.

Henry McMahon