Year 13 student Bailey Lissington's soil leaching sensor project is one of 22 ideas from throughout the country to make the finals of the Skills Bright Sparks Competition 2019 - a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) competition.

Bailey said he wanted to create something that would protect the environment after reading an environmental report that predicted the negative future for the country's waterways. He focused on the underlying problems that led to soil leaching.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on November 7 at Datacom in Auckland.

Bailey has also been awarded the Wrybill trophy at the ECAN Resource management awards!

Each year, the winners of the Environment Canterbury School Award, in both the junior and senior categories at the Christchurch and Timaru Science fairs, present their exhibits at a special council meeting at Environment Canterbury, Christchurch. The overall winner is awarded the Wrybill Trophy, the best of the best.

We wish Bailey every success with the Skills Bright Sparks Competition.