Fire weather; art and activism; how nature restores concentration; and meet the navy’s weather forecaster
Great National Science Week environment stories up for grabs now around Australia
- Why bushfire season is now year-round, with the Canadian author of Fire Weather and a UNSW Canberra expert
- How Tassie’s wild weather affects land, lifestyles and livelihoods – Hobart, TAS
- An icy ocean expert and the navy’s weather forecaster talk climate and careers – Sydney, NSW
- From Antarctic lichens to the oldest hornworts: National Herbarium reveals Von Mueller’s 1.5 million specimens across time – Melbourne, VIC
- The art of endangered birds & environmental activism – Wyangala and Cowra, NSW
- Burning lessons from Country and a VR tour of Melbourne Uni’s fire lab– Melbourne, VIC
- Can nature help with concentration, ADHD and autism? – Melbourne, VIC
- How saltmarshes in suburban Perth fight climate change – Perth, WA
More on these below and visit ScienceWeek.net.au/events to find more stories in your area.
Scientists, experts, performers and event organisers are available for interview throughout National Science Week.
Individual event details and media contacts
Fire weather, a year-round reality – Kensington, NSW
‘Bushfire season’ is now a year-round reality – and not just in Australia.
In the aftermath of the hottest decade on record, Australia’s extreme bushfire behaviour expert and mathematical scientist Professor Jason Sharples (UNSW Canberra) unpacks the future in conversation with John Vaillant, award-winning Canadian author of Fire Weather.
Tuesday 12 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/john-vaillant-fire-weather/kensington
Professor Jason Sharples is an internationally recognised authority in dynamic bushfire behaviour and extreme bushfire development. He was an expert advisor and witness to the NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry following the 2019-20 Black Summer fires, with the resulting recommendations framed by his research.
John Vaillant is a bestselling author and freelance writer. In Fire Weather he recounts the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire in Alberta. The book won Britain’s Baillie Gifford Prize, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the US National Book Award and was named one of the ten best books of 2023 by The New York Times.
How Tassie’s wild weather affects land, lifestyles and livelihoods – Sandy Bay, TAS
Tassie’s wild weather includes everything from gale-force winds to storms and floods to heatwaves. And weather patterns are changing.
But what’s behind these wild swings? How rare is a so-called 1-in-100-year storm? And what happens when the patterns we’ve relied on start to shift?
Meet experts in meteorology, climate science and agriculture to explore what drives Tasmania’s most extreme weather events and what they mean for our land, livelihoods and future.
The experts:
- Dr Paul Fox-Hughes is a research meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology in Tasmania, specialising in high-impact weather events such as severe storms and heavy rainfall.
- Dr Annette Stellema is a climate scientist and research engineer at CSIRO in Hobart. Her expertise includes analysing climate extremes and developing models to assess the frequency and impact of extreme weather events, contributing to a better understanding of climate risks.
- Dr Steve Curnin is an Associate Professor at the University of Tasmania where he is co-director of the Disaster Resilience Research Group. His research explores strategic decision making and foresight in the context of disasters.
- Hosted by Corey Peterson, Chief Sustainability Officer, University of Tasmania.
Tuesday 14 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/tassies-wild-weather-up-close/sandy-bay/
An icy ocean expert and the navy’s weather forecaster talk climate and careers – Sydney, NSW
High school students are set to take a deep dive into climate science, meteorology and oceanography at the Australian National Maritime Museum. They will meet:
- Swimmer, surfer and Australia’s leading ocean modeller, Matthew England, who first captured Antarctic water-masses in global climate models. The UNSW Scientia Professor received the Pavel S. Molchanov Climate Communications Prize.
- Royal Australian Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Officer, Lieutenant Holly Boubouras, who spent a stint working in Antarctica.
Students will explore the museum, including its science exhibitions and a Navy Destroyer.
Friday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/decoding-the-ocean/darling-harbour/
The art of endangered birds and environmental activism – Wyangala and Cowra, NSW
Exploring endangered birds through drawing, collage and wet collodion photography will be one of the highlights of a series of workshops, talks and exhibitions focused on environmentalism during ERTHWRX25.
The multi-day event celebrates 10 years of science, arts and cultural programming across Central West NSW, and also features Wiradjuri night sky stories with cultural knowledge holder Doug Sutherland.
The initiative is organised by the CORRIDOR project (a not-for-profit multidisciplinary arts and cultural organisation) and Orange Cowra Cabonne Science Hub, bringing together community, scientists, cultural knowledge holders, artists, architects, ecologists, and academics.
Key topics include:
- Biodiversity conservation and regenerative farming
- Cultural museum collections and First Nations astronomy
- Global wildlife disease and planetary systems
- Soil health, mycology and earth sciences
- Circular economies, water sustainability and renewable energy
Saturday 9 August & Sunday 10 August (The CORRIDOR Project, Wyangala)
www.scienceweek.net.au/event/erthwrx25/wyangala/
Saturday 16 August & Sunday 17 August (Micro Gallery Cowra)
The CORRIDOR project based near Cowra is a multidisciplinary arts organisation providing a platform for education and cultural pursuits to explore the science, technology and Indigenous knowledge of the Central West. The lead partner in the Orange Cowra Cabonne Science Hub, the CORRIDOR project presents a diverse program of art/science engagement experiences for the community.
From Antarctic lichens to the oldest hornworts: Von Mueller’s 1.5 million specimens across time – Melbourne, VIC
How can lichen survive the Antarctic landscape while also growing in the hottest deserts?
Scientists from Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria will tell their favourite stories about some of the 1.5 million specimens of plants, algae, and fungi at the National Herbarium of Victoria.
Learn about the founder of the herbarium, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, on his 200th birthday and discover how these historic collections continue to inform science today.
Thursday 14 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/specimens-across-time/melbourne
Burning lessons from Country – online via Melbourne
Take a virtual tour of University of Melbourne’s fire lab and meet two researchers studying wildfires and learning from Indigenous fire management practices:
- Dharug woman, Maddison Miller, who explores ways of bringing non-Indigenous and Indigenous sciences together.
- Trent Penman, a bushfire risk modeller.
Tuesday 12 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/burning-lessons-from-country-ancient-and-new-understanding-of-bushfires-2/
Can nature help us concentrate? – North Fitzroy, VIC
Melbourne researchers say looking to nature can improve your attention span.
University of Melbourne Psychology Professor Katherine Johnson discusses related findings about staying focussed.
Her research in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience involves children and adults with developmental disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Thursday 14 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-science-of-attention-how-nature-can-help/north-fitzroy
Professor Katherine Johnson is available for media interviews.
How saltmarshes in suburban Perth fight climate change – Wilson, WA
Underappreciated wetlands are gaining attention as a nature-based way to draw down carbon pollution. This approach is known as ‘blue carbon’ – the carbon stored in vegetated coastal ecosystems like tidal saltmarshes.
These ecosystems can store up to 4 times more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests and they do so up to 50 times faster. And there’s one right in the middle of Perth!
Canning River tidal flats are being restored to help with climate regulation and biodiversity conservation by the South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare and its stakeholders.
Locals will have to opportunity to meet the ecologists involved and find out more about how restoring wetlands can help fight climate change.
Saturday 2 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/saltmarshes-natures-climate-change-hero/wilson/
About National Science Week
National Science Week is Australia’s annual opportunity to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its cultural and economic impact on society – from art to astrophysics, chemistry to climate change, and forensics to future food.
First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year about 3 million people participated in more than 2,000 events and activities.
The festival is proudly supported by the Australian Government, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and the ABC.
In 2025 it runs from Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.
