Become a Junior Biosecurity Officer

Learn about biosecurity

Explore teacher resources and curriculum-linked activities for children to learn about biosecurity in Australia.

What is biosecurity

Bio – means living, like animals, plants and people.

Security – means keeping things safe.

Biosecurity is how we protect plants, animals, food and nature.

Can you imagine if you had giant slimy snails in your backyard? Or smelly brown marmorated stink bugs hiding in your socks? These are pests.

Pests can make it hard for us to enjoy everyday life. Some pests can hurt plants and animals, and even the food we eat.

Australia is one of the only places in the world where you won’t find lots of these nasty pests or diseases.

But when people travel overseas or send items in the mail, they might hitch a ride and come into Australia.

The good news? We can all help!

On-screen images: Blaze (Speaker), an animated Junior Biosecurity Officer who is a dog pictured against a blurred background, gives an overview of biosecurity while images and footage of farms, luggage, mail articles, biosecurity officers and detector and a child walking with muddy shoes are shown on-screen.

Blaze: Hey everyone! I'm Blaze, your wise friend and a Junior Biosecurity Officer. I'm part of a team that helps keep Australia safe. Let's find out how.

Blaze (voiceover): Biosecurity is really important. It protects our farms, our food and our environment. Bio' means living things – like plants and animals – and 'Security' means keeping them safe.

Blaze (voiceover): The big challenge is stopping pests and diseases coming from overseas. They could make our plants and animals very sick. They can arrive in lots of ways, like hidden in people's luggage, in overseas mail, or even on things like dirty shoes.

Blaze (voiceover): That’s where biosecurity officers come in. They work at places like international airports and mail centres to check things carefully. They use special tools like X-ray machines and work with clever biosecurity detector dogs who can sniff out hidden threats.

Blaze (voiceover): You can help too by learning about biosecurity and becoming a Junior Biosecurity Officer like me. Tell your friends and family. Let’s work together to protect Australia.

Blaze: ‘Thanks for being a biosecurity champion! (Woofs)

Teacher resources

Meet Junior Biosecurity Officers, Scout, Dusty, and Blaze as they take students through real-life biosecurity locations like Melbourne International Airport, the Post-Entry Quarantine facility, and an International Mail Gateway Facility.

These experiences bring biosecurity to life, helping students understand how it protects Australia and how they can play a part. Explore biosecurity though virtual tours, interactive PowerPoint presentations and explainer videos designed for young learners.

Australian Curriculum linked lesson plans guide students through different scenarios, designed for Year 2–5.

See lesson plans and activities for primary school students