Student duo win China trip

Year 12s Shayla Prescott and Rachel Gethin are bound for Beijing.

The two Karratha Senior High School students will join Tom Price Senior High School student Sarah Slattery on a trip to the Chinese capital next month.

To win this trip, the three students worked with scientists from ClimateWatch to create research projects on climate change.

While in Beijing they will participate in the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition.

Shayla said she was looking forward to the experience of travelling to the People’s Republic of China and seeing tourist sites.

“We’re going to the Great Wall (of China) and the Forbidden City … so we get to do all that sort of thing,” she said.

Rachel said she applied for the program as she enjoyed science.

“It’s such a good experience and good opportunity,” she said.

Rachel looked forward to meeting people from other nations.

The girls were chosen to represent the Pilbara after taking part in a research project.

Shayla’s research demonstrated climate change was affecting Sturt Desert peas, while Rachel looked at climate change effects on birds.

They will present their research and findings at the competition.

Beijing Bound is a joint program by government science advocate Scitech and big miner Rio Tinto.

Rio Tinto community investment manager Trisha Comerford said the company was proud to support the program.

Scitech program co-ordinator Kimiko Holder said work with an expert gave the students valuable one-on-one experience.