Pupils go behind the scenes

Kavanagh College pupil Courtney Caulfield (14, left) and Ali Johnston (14), of Otago Girls’ High School, enjoy their visit to the Otago Museum Tropical Forest yesterday,  as part of a celebration of the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The museum joined forces with the Dodd Walls Centre of Research Excellence to host a group of about 20 year 11 Otago secondary school pupils for the behind-the-scenes visit, which included looking around the museum’s conservation laboratory.

Museum outreach co-ordinator Nathalie Wierdak was pleased the museum and centre could offer the "exciting" event to female pupils. The visit highlighted "the importance of encouraging females of all ages to pursue a career in science", she said. The event ended with a panel discussion and question-and-answer session.