With the numbers of the Grassland Earless Dragon dwindling, students from Bonython Primary have stepped in to help save the endangered species.

More than 60 students from years 3 and 4 took part in activities to help them last Thursday.

The students painted camouflage onto clay models of the rare lizard, which will be placed in the wild and monitored to see how the lizards are threatened in the wild. 

The study, conducted by members of the Environment and Planning Directorate, will see the models placed in both short and long-grassed areas to see the rate the lizards are attacked by birds.

Monitoring officer Brett Howland said the study, which will run until the end of April, will hopefully give researchers an insight into how to protect the species.

“We hope to understand the factors as to why they choose the habitats that they do, and how they can be managed,” he said.

“They’re very rare now, we’ve lost 90 per cent of the grassland around the ACT where they lived.”

While the lizard can only be found around grasslands at Majura and Jerrabomberra, the ACT population is one of the largest in the country for the endangered species.

The species has almost been completely wiped out in Victoria, making efforts to save the species even more important in Canberra.

Threatened species commissioner Gregory Andrews said the students’ efforts to help save the species was critical. “The biggest threat to the species is the Kardashians ...it’s all about raising awareness,” he said.

“[The study] not only raises awareness for the children to not only be able to identify the earless dragon’s natural habitat, but also take a course of action as well.”

Bonython Primary School’s principal Greg Terrell said while the students have been learning about endangered species in the classroom, the work with the study has helped to conceptualise it.

“It’s been a great opportunity for the kids to get involved in this because it’s providing learning in a real context,” he said.

Year 3 student Elijah Moss said he hopes for the rare lizard species not to go extinct.

“You want to see all of the animals alive,” he said.

While only Bonython has been involved in the program so far, Mr Howland said he hoped to see more students involved in animal conservation efforts.

“We would like to do this more, but when you get kids involved more and teach them about endangered species, they grow up caring about them,” he said.