Ocean Grove’s Surfside Primary School has crowned the winners for its annual Threatened Species Bake Off.
The two-week event, involving students from grades three to six, saw budding master chefs create cookies decorated with either an endangered or critically endangered species.
Surfside’s baking event is run in conjunction with Australian Geographic’s Threatened Species Bake Off, with the school entering its best entries into the junior section of the national competition.
It is the third year Surfside has participated in the event as part of its Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program.
Grade five teacher and kitchen specialist Fleur Kilpatrick said the children loved the event every year.
“The event aligns with Threatened Species Day, which is on the seventh of September and commemorates the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger back in 1936,” Ms Kilpatrick said.
“The day is all about raising awareness of our flora and fauna that are becoming extinct, so it’s great to get the kids involved and have some good discussions.
“Before they come into the kitchen they research their endangered animal and then bring that information into their design, and then they create their species on their cookie.”
She said for many students it was the first time they had learned about extinction, which was confronting for some.
“We always have a value in each kitchen session, and it was compassion this time around,” Ms Kilpatrick said.
“They definitely developed an awareness and became very empathetic toward the species’ situations.
“But then, it’s really nice to talk about, on a school level and an individual level, what we can do to help and talk about the organisations that are out there helping.”
