Switching rural primary students on to local science was a project centred on a cluster of seven Tasmanian primary schools over a full school year. The project had as its aims a mix of professional development outcomes for participant teachers and an enhancement of science experiences for their students. In order to achieve these aims programs developed within participant classes were linked to and supported by external experts and local science agencies. This article tracks through the conceptualization and implementation stages of the project and employs experiences of the project managers and data collected throughout the project to provide insight into successes and problems arising from the project. It also offers recommendations to others who might be considering embarking on similar projects elsewhere. The data demonstrates there were positive impacts on both teachers and students and their involvement in science teaching and learning.