Sydney Science Trail Community Day 2024

Featuring: 

• Picton High School Aboriginal Dance Group 
• Jerrah Patston is a musician from the Blue Mountains, and is noted for his unique, whimsical style. Jerrah’s lyrics touch on the comforts of home, experiences of disability in the workplace and imagining ideal locations. Jerrah writes and records at Club Weld, a studios and development program at Arts & Cultural Exchange in Parramatta. Jerrah is performing with collaborator Sam Worrad.
• MC and author Lee Constable interviews experts on koalas, plant conservation, pollination, humpback whales and more. Lee Constable is an author and presenter best known for hosting Network 10 kids’ science TV show Scope. She is the author of How to Save the Whole Stinkin’ Planet: A Garbological Adventure and How to Save the Whole Blinkin’ Planet: A Renewable Energy Adventure. 

• Nursery Tour: Visit our research nursery, where plants are grown for restoration projects across NSW 
• PlantBank: Glimpse behind-the-scenes at PlantBank and see our state-of-the-art cold storage and tissue culture facilities, preserving seeds of at-risk species. Recommended ages 16+ 
• Cumberland Plain Woodland Walk: Join experts for guided walks of our remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland. 

Capacity is limited. Tour registration will be at the information desk on the day.

Watch live demonstrations, get your hands dirty with our horticulturalists and learn about how you can help local fauna. 

• First Nations Education: Join Australian Botanic Garden's First Nations educators to learn about the importance of fire through land management, travel and trade! While connecting, kids will have the opportunity to practice their fire making skills.   
• Rare and at-risk orchids: Discover the mysteries and diversity of NSW’s native orchids with scientific officer Dr Zoe-Joy Newby and the Macarthur Australian Native Orchids Society. Watch live demonstrations of hand-pollination and learn from experts how to care for orchids at home. 
• Persoonia Lab: Follow the journey of a seed from the wild to preservation with scientists from PlantBank. Take home an agar-planted native seed to plant in your garden. 
• Pollination Partners: Plant scientist Dr Trevor Wilson shares the co-evolution of plants and pollinators and more about conserving these critical relationships. 
• Herbarium mounting demonstrations: Visit the Herbarium, explore the displays and see how our dedicated volunteers prepare thousands of herbarium sheets each year. 
• Herbarium: Curators Hannah McPherson and Anuizka Kazandjian discuss how the Herbarium is engaged in active research on Australia floral diversity. Build a plant press and start your own plant collection! 
• Plant Identification: Discover the tips and tricks of botanical identification and learn about plant traits, form and function with Peter Jobson and Andrew Orme from the Botanical Identification Service. 
• Living Collection and Horticulture: Get your hands dirty with Living Collection Curator Mike Elgey and supervising horticulturalists Chris Cole and Ryan Newett, and learn how the garden plantings and nursery contribute to active conservation and restoration projects. Take home a native tree or pot wild collected seeds to watch grow at home. 
• Collective Action and Floral Crowns: Reflect on the meaning of species survival and a floral crown or headband antennae. 
• PlantBank Field Vehicle: Meet field researchers who work every day to collect and conserve NSW native seeds. 
• Cumberland Plain Woodland Walk: Join expert led walks of the Cumberland Plain Woodland and discover the significance of this at-risk local ecosystem. Sign-up for tours at the Information desk. 
• Australian Museum FrogID: Contribute to citizen science and track local frogs with Australian Museum’s free FrogID app. Learn how to identify frogs by their calls and join a short demonstration and walk to our wetland. 
• Koalatown: Meet researchers from Campbelltown City Council’s Koalatown initiative. Learn about the local koala population and what you can do to help ensure the population thrives in South West Sydney. 
• Greater Sydney Landcare: Connect with Greater Sydney Landcare and learn about inspiring community led conservation initiatives across our region. 
• Western Sydney Parklands: Join our friends at Western Sydney Parklands to explore the Cumberland Plain Woodlands. Learn how to protect this vital ecosystem through nature play and art activities.
• University of Technology Sydney (UTS): Meet landscape architects and architects from UTS and discover how nature-based design can support biodiversity and climate adaptation in your community. 
• University of New England (UNE): University of New England’s  Botany Lecturer and Beadle Herbarium director Dr Andrew Thornhill explores the world of botany. Examine 3D models of pollen and study pollen diversity under the microscope. Unearth the surprising diversity of local moss and liverworts and learn about leading botany research and teaching at UNE. 
• CSIRO: Meet researchers from CSIRO to learn about what Australia’s National Science Agency is doing to support species survival. Also chat about how parents can engage their children with STEM, and stay on-top of science discoveries with CSIRO’s Double Helix and Cosmos magazines. Join ambassadors and mentors from CSIRO’s Deadly in Generation STEM program, and celebrate the ingenuity of Australia’s first scientists. 
• Camden Council: Dive into the journey of urban water and learn about our local waterways and the hidden biodiversity living within.