08/09/2026
🌿 QUT (Queensland University of Technology) experts bring conservation science to life at Sandgate District State High School
Earlier this month, 15 SDSHS students swapped the traditional classroom for the school’s five-acre outdoor classroom, affectionately known as “No Man’s Land”, for a hands-on wildlife research experience with QUT ecology experts.
Students joined Professor Grant Hamilton, ecology expert and Director of QUT’s Conservation AI Network, and recent PhD graduate Dr Stephen Molan to discover how scientists are using technology to better understand and protect Australia’s wildlife.
The students explored how camera traps, acoustic monitoring and other wildlife technologies are used to track animals, collect ecological data and investigate biodiversity in natural environments. Dr Molan also demonstrated how monitoring cameras are installed and used in the field, drawing on his doctoral research into the effects of fire on wildlife communities in northern Australia.
Professor Hamilton highlighted the growing importance of technology in conservation, from AI and drones to wildlife monitoring systems, as researchers respond to the global biodiversity crisis.
The day also gave students a glimpse of possible pathways beyond school, with QUT Bachelor of Science student Lillian Field sharing her university experience, including student clubs and vacation research opportunities.
The collaboration was facilitated by SDSHS Experienced Senior Teacher and EcoMarines Coordinator Glen Hammermeister, a QUT alumnus who has helped develop “No Man’s Land” into an outdoor environmental learning space for ecology, biodiversity and conservation investigations.
And this is just the beginning. 🌏
Students will continue the collaboration by using wildlife camera traps and data-analysis tools to investigate the species living in their own school environment—turning their outdoor classroom into a genuine local wildlife research site.
As Glen put it, the partnership between the SDSHS Environmental Committee, biology students and QUT Ecology is a genuine educational collaboration, with benefits reaching students, the environment and the local community.
Who knew one of Sandgate’s schoolyards could become a wildlife research laboratory? 🔎🐾