Cave tour a highlight at Science Summer School

Cave tour a highlight at Science Summer School

A group of students took a leap back in time last week to explore the science and engineering marvels on show at Ruakuri Cave.

The visit to the cave, which lies within the Waitomo Caves network, was part of the Hill Laboratories Waikato Science Summer School.

From 30 November to 5 December, 40 Year 12 students from around the central North Island spent the week at the University of Waikato, giving the students the chance to get a taste for what it can be like to study science and engineering at a tertiary level.

The group was hand-picked from 89 applicants by Rotary Clubs within Rotary District 9930.

The week began with a two day field trip during which students explored the areas of Kawhia and Waitomo. The group searched for fossils at Puti Point and Mangapohue Natural Bridge, collected zoo plankton samples at the Kawhia jetty and enjoyed a guided walk through Ruakuri Cave.

Whakatane student Sarah Futter from Trident High School said it was exciting to visit Ruakuri Cave to learn about how it was formed over millions of years, and the ways in which engineering techniques such as bridges and tunnels have been used to open the cave as a tourist attraction.

The remainder of the week was spent in Waikato University’s science and engineering labs. Students were tasked with analysing water samples collected during the field trip from Kawhia and Ruakuri Cave, looking at plankton under the microscope, and building prototypes such as torches and “Together the field trip and labs aimed to give the group a better understanding of the environmental and social changes the local coastal and cave environments have undergone over time,” says Dr Ian Duggan, Senior Science Lecturer at Waikato University.

Waikato’s Science Summer School is an annual event run by Rotary District 9930 and Waikato University’s Faculty of Science & Engineering, with sponsorship from Hill Laboratories.

Hill Laboratories is the country’s largest privately owned analytical testing laboratory. The Summer School included a visit to the company’s laboratories for a tour of their facilities.

“We are proud to support the future of science and technology in New Zealand. These talented young students are the future generations of scientists and it is our privilege to support them through the Science Summer School. We look forward to the contributions they will make in their chosen fields in future years,” says Martin Brock, Marketing Manager at Hill Laboratories.

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