Dubbo College Senior Campus has been chosen to take part in an "extremely rare" initiative that will last for the next 30 years.
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The school is one of 150 involved in the What'll Happen to the Wattle national Seeds in Space project, coordinated by One Giant Leap Australia.
Wattle seeds that were sent to the International Space Station for seven months are now in the care of Dubbo College to grow, care and monitor.
Each of the six wattle seeds in the school's care has a counterpart that remained on Earth. The project will determine how the seeds respond to being in space, in comparison with their counterparts.
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Research data will be input into a central online database coordinated by One Giant Leap Australia for the next 30 years.
Dubbo College head science teacher Jame Eddy said the project was extremely rare because of its long-reaching implications.
"Our students and staff will essentially be involved for the next 30 years in a project that will help determine how these plants would grow if we were to colonise Mars," Mr. Eddy said.
It's not the first time Dubbo College has been involved in a project like this. Dubbo College Senior Campus grew basil seeds that had been to space and found they had a greater vitality than those that hadn't.
Year 12 Earth and environmental science student Olivia Mazzer will be the primary caretaker of the seeds. She'll be responsible for the research from the seed to sapling phases.
Across the 30 years of the project, the responsibility and succession plan will be shared between the Earth and environmental science class and the specialist support unit.
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