Bamboo, more than food for pandas
The SCA is pleased to announce our 2012 Primary Schools Competition, in co-operation with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The subject of this year's competition is :
Bamboo, more than food for pandas
The aim of the competition is to encourage children to learn more about this ubiquitous plant and to look at it in relation to the Chinese style of painting, as well as to animal conservation.
Bamboo is a member of the “true grass” family (Poaceae) that provides 20% of the earth’s land cover. There are around 1,450 species of bamboos, living in all kinds of climates, from cold mountains to hot tropical regions and from 50°N latitude to 47°S latitude. There are no bamboo species native to Continental Europe. Bamboos have a unique and fascinating life-cycle. The giant bamboo is the largest member of this family. Some of them are the fastest-growing plants in the world and can grow up to 100cm in 24 hours ! Bamboo is the major food of pandas, but it is eaten by many other animals as well - it is also used in Chinese and other Asian cuisines. It can be used for timber, scaffolding, and flooring, as a garden plant, as fillings for duvets and jackets – and even for making socks !
Children are encouraged to explore Chinese culture and to enjoy expressing what they learn in a creative way. Entries can be in one of the following formats :
- written work
- two- or three-dimensional work (up to A2 or 1 cubic metre respectively)
- video or DVD
For more information about Edinburgh Zoo's pandas, see their special panda page.
BBC1 Scotland have recently aired a fascinating documentary about the panda journey to Scotland see here for more. There was a lot of discussion of bamboo !
On bamboo itself and its many uses, the Wikipedia page has a lot of basic information.
All entries must be pre-registered by email, including contact name, school, address, category and type of entry. Send your email to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Closing date for entries is Friday, 1 June 2012. Entries should be sent to the Education Centre, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS - entries must be clearly marked with pupil's name and category, school name and contact details. Work must be received during the week 28 May to 1 June 2012.
Entries will be judged during the week ending 15 June. The judge's decision is final, and results will be announced immediately after judging.
The prize-giving will be held at 11am on Saturday, 23 June 2012 at the Education Centre, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS. This will include a visit to see the pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang.
Prizes and certificates will be awarded to individuals and groups in each of the categories if the judges are satisfied with the standard of entries.
Group winners will receive a generous prize for the school library, with individuals receiving mementos.
The Tom Murray Memorial Prize will be awarded to the school with the best overall standard of entries - this is a colourful globe made from valuable stones. The school's name is engraved on the base and the globe is retained by the winning school until the next competition.
The SCA and the RZSS have the right to use entries for publicity or for display. Prize winning entries will be displayed in the Zoo Education Centre from the prize-giving until 30 June. Schools are responsible for arranging return of entries if required.
The SCA and the RZSS may wish to use photographs of the prize-giving event for publicity purposes. Please advise if permission is required if children are included in any such photographs.
Background to the competition
The SCA competition was originally run by the Tom Murray Memorial Trust (no longer in existence). Tom Murray was a founding member of the SCA, after distinguished service with the International Brigade in Spain and was a respected Edinburgh city councillor. He was a man of courage and principle, and had both a great interest both in China and in education, so this competition is dedicated to his memory.
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