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Creating a tsunami in a tray is actually easier than baking a tray of biscuits - and it has a sweet result for primary school children.

Assistant Professor Zoey Durmic is one of 20 UWA scientists who volunteer their time to teach children about science, and demonstrating earthquakes and tsunamis has been one of her most testing challenges.

"I like to work with young school children," Professor Durmic said, "as they like hands-on activities (like me), rather than just sitting and listening. When they made their own little tsunamis, they were thrilled, running around and shouting I love science!" Professor Durmic has been volunteering at Goollelal primary school in Kingsley for many years as part of the Scientists in Schools program.

National Volunteers Week was celebrated recently in Australia, and the CSIRO-run Scientists in Schools program took the opportunity of thanking UWA scientists and mathematicians who turn their skills to enthusing school children about science and mathematics.

"I want children to realise that science is not about serious people sitting around doing complicated things," she said. "It can be pure fun and exciting, and it's important that children feel enthusiastic and interested. I'm also keen to promote UWA in the northern suburbs and encourage more students from this area to come to UWA ."

And just how did her students create a tsunami in a tray?

"The children each created a ‘beach in a tray', using water and playground sand, adding plants, plastic animals and Lego cubes as buildings. We put the trays on a table and banged the table hard to create the waves. Then they could see how an Scientists volunteer in the classroom earthquake from below the surface can create a tsunami and what the effects could be," Professor Durmic said.

She is revitalising the concept of a ‘resident scientist' program at the school. "When my children were at Goollelal, we tried to set up a system where children could email me with whatever science questions they had. If I couldn't give them an answer, I would find out from scientists in other disciplines."

"It didn't work very well at the time, partly because, seven or eight years ago, not all the children had access to computers or email. Now many of them have their own laptops, so I'm starting it up again and I think it will be a great success this time."

Professor Durmic is part of the Rumen Microbiology Group in the School of Animal Biology. She works at UWA 's newest ‘campus' at Floreat, within the CSIRO complex. She and her colleagues are trying to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by sheep and cattle by feeding them plants that are antimicrobial and can kill methane-producing microbes in the animal gut.

Other scientists in the volunteer program include Assistant Professor Duncan Wild from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, whose year five students are currently growing crystals and will investigate why some grew and some didn't.

Jenni Wallis, marketing manager for the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences, said the scientists' contributions ranged from a one-hour talk once a year, to regular activities with school children. "Some involve the children more than others, such as the scientist who set up a blog before his trip to Antarctica so the children could follow his research," she said. "Whatever their level of involvement, it is all greatly appreciated by the schools and the program, which relies on volunteers to bring real world science and mathematics to students and school teachers."

Published in UWA News , 28 May 2012