Eleven-year-old Canberran, Jaya Hunn, has won over arguably Australia’s best gardener, Costa Georgiadis, with his submission to Landcare Australia’s ‘What’s in your backyard?’ photo competition.  

Chosen as the ACT’s best photo, Jaya also came out on top of the national competition with his ‘Sticky sundews’ image taken in Umbagong District Park, Latham. 

His enthusiasm for science and nature is obvious as he beams while explaining why he loves carnivorous plants – the inspiration for his winning photo.  

“Carnivorous plants tend to move much, much more and have much more clever ways to trap food than other plants,” Jaya says.  

“They don’t move very much and some of them might just die because there’s no nutrients around. But then some plants get eaten by flies and the flies benefit which means the sundews and other carnivorous plants will benefit as well.  

“And then the train continues and there won’t be too many insects. They also trap insects, which makes for a very nice houseplant because they might just trap flies.”  

While at home sick, the budding photographer was surprised to hear he’d won both the state and national awards. 

“I hadn’t expected to when I was just doing it for a bit of fun because I like doing it. My brother also entered it, except he didn’t win,” Jaya grins.  

“I’ve always liked taking photos or just taking photos and editing them because the editing is fun, and then you get to capture. One of my favourite features is putting the photo on live mode.” 

Proud mum, Di, says they were told his photo was Costa’s favourite, which was “pretty exciting” for the 11-year-old.  

“We were just talking about how he took that photo on my phone, but the prize is actually a camera, so Jaya will have his own,” Di says.

Jaya smiles as he tells CW of his career plans – a scientist, an inventor, or a computer coder.  

“I always liked the biological ecosystem. So, I was always trying to figure out the best ways, I was trying to invent ways to make it sustainable,” he says.  

“I created this rain thing which sort of concentrates water into one point and that water gets really cold and that makes water from the air go on to this point, and then they’ll all just run down into a tank so you can get water just not from rain, but condensation as well.  

“That can be very useful in the desert because it’s not only collecting the rain, but it’s also getting water from the air and that can actually get lots of water in a day, because it’s quite humid sometimes.” 

His knack for innovation led him to design a way to collect rubbish more efficiently when out with his Landcare group by using sticks to stop litter flowing down the creek.  

Convener of the group, Rosemary Blemmings, says having children involved in Landcare makes “such a difference”.  

“It makes us think about what we can usefully and interestingly give them something to do, especially when the grasses are so forbidding,” Ms Blemmings said.  

“Just to see them learn and eager to learn and Jaya’s wonderful skills with the camera too. In the first meeting he came too he took this wonderful panorama or all across here.” 

When asked if other Canberrans should come down and join him in picking up rubbish, weeding, and perhaps learning a few things along the way, Jaya responds with an enthusiastic “yes!”.  

“It’s actually pretty fun and we actually, in the river, we found a $50 note! And I got to keep it,” Jaya smiles.

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