Imogen Maree Muldoon
Award Level:
Silver
Favourite memory of the Award:
100%, finding this beetle was my all-time favourite memory
Age:
15
Biggest challenge from doing the Award:
The award overall is extremely challanging, but so extremely fun and worth it. The biggest challenge personally was facing my fears and learning to trust myself and my team around me.
Country:
Australia
Have you continued any of your Award activities? If so, what:
This encounter allowed me to gain more passion for entomology, and now, my hobbies consist of studying insects as apart of insect taxonomy, and displaying insects as you would see in museums!
Tell us the story behind your photo:
Over the 4 month long COVID-19 lockdown in NSW Australia in 2021, I began my passion for entomology ( the study of insects ). My qualifying hike for Bronze was moved to a later date as a result of this lockdown, happening to fall on my birthday. While hiking in Marra Marra NSW, a blue insect fell onto my friend's arm, and onto a nearby native Acacia plant. Immediately, I was able to identify this Weevil as a Botany Bay Diamond Beetle, the first insect/animal to be associated with Australia as a country!Its bright blue colours were spotted during Captain James Cook's explorations of Australia. The fact that while hiking, we spotted the first scientifically described insect species ever in Australia, on my birthday made the whole experience very special!
Award Role:
Participant
