Marji Puotinen (Homeward Bound scientist) and students. Photo: Martin Kennealey
Camera IconMarji Puotinen (Homeward Bound scientist) and students. Photo: Martin Kennealey Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Ocean Reef: Beaumaris Primary School students to have drawings featured on flag in Antarctica

Tyler BrownJoondalup Times

OCEAN Reef students will have their work on show in the world’s southernmost continent.

Australia Institute of Marine Science researcher Marji Puotinen is heading to Antarctica and has involved 1246 kids in her expedition, including 98 from Beaumaris Primary School, where Mrs Puotinen’s children attend.

She created the #kidscareaboutclimatechange drawing competition and asked kids aged five to 14 to show why they care about climate change including what they love most about penguins, the polar regions and coral reefs.

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They were then asked to give the drawing a title and write a couple of sentences explaining what they drew and why.

Entries were received from 119 schools and 11 countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Mozambique, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and the US, as well as Puerto Rico.

She then sewed them all together to make a giant flag to fly at the South Pole.

The flag design.
Camera IconThe flag design. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

“The banner is 7m high and 5.18 m wide and it was printed in five panels that my husband sewed together using an industrial sewing machine,” Mrs Puotinen said.

From within Australia, 422 of the entries and 13 of the 64 winners were from WA, including one from Beaumaris and two from Pearsall Primary School.

Beaumaris Primary School winner Tommy Mason-Gentry (6).
Camera IconBeaumaris Primary School winner Tommy Mason-Gentry (6). Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Other northern suburbs schools taking part included Ashdale (Darch) and East Wanneroo primary schools, St Anthony’s School (Wanneroo) and Belridge Secondary College.

Pearsall Primary School winner Jayren Tan (11).
Camera IconPearsall Primary School winner Jayren Tan (11). Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Mrs Puotinen will be in Antarctica from December 31 to January 21 with 80 female scientists on an international leadership journey to combat climate change with Homeward Bound.

Pearsall Primary School winner Leila Rogers (11).
Camera IconPearsall Primary School winner Leila Rogers (11). Credit: Supplied/Supplied

“I’ll be visiting the Antarctic Peninsula which is slightly warmer than the rest of Antarctica,” she said.

“In January typical temperatures will average a maximum of -2 degrees and a minimum of -8 degrees.”

Follow the journey at kidscareaboutclimate.org.

WA participating schools:

Beaumaris Primary School – 98 entries – one winner Westminster Junior Primary School – 37 Applecross Primary School – 34 Ashdale Primary School – 32 Kapinara Primary School – 30 – two winners East Hamilton Hill Primary School – 21 Narrogin Senior High School – 20 Rapids Landing Primary School – 20 – three winners Como Secondary College – 19 Freshwater Bay Primary School – 19 Arbor Grove Primary School – 16 Glen Forrest Primary School – 14 Pearsall Primary School – 11 – two winners Willetton Senior High School – seven – two winners Pioneer Village Primary School – four – two winners Belridge Secondary College – three Denmark Primary School – three St Anthony’s School – three Badgingarra Primary School – two Bicton Primary School – two Booragoon Primary School – two Cottesloe Primary School – two East Wanneroo Primary School – two Inglewood primary school – two Millen Primary School – two Parkerville Primary School – two Rosalie Primary School – two Assumption Catholic Primary School – one Bold Park Community School – one Frederick Irwin Anglican School – one Harrisdale Primary School – one John Curtin College of the Arts – one Lake Gwelup Primary School – 1 Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Primary School – one Melville Primary School (kindy) – one Mt Helena Primary School – one – one winner Piara Waters Primary School – one Rawlinson Primary School – one Rockingham Primary School – one