Poetry meets astronomy; global warming meets human health
Here are the Northern Territory-based events and activities that were awarded grants from the Australian Government for National Science Week 2026 through the Inspiring Australia program.
- Connecting Alice Springs and Chile through poetry, astronomy, and our shared view of the stars
- What does climate change mean for our health, especially in the Red (hot) Centre?
More on each of these below.
National Science Week in the Northern Territory is coordinated by Inspired NT. Visit their website: inspirednt.net.
For general National Science Week media enquiries, contact scienceweek@scienceinpublic.com.au.
Passageways / Caminhos
Grant recipient: Red Dirt Poetry Incorporated
Passageways / Caminhos is an international art – science collaboration connecting Central Australia and Chile through poetry, astronomy, and shared southern skies.
Central Australia’s Red Dirt Poetry Festival has joined forces with Chile’s International Poetry Festival (ACRUX – Festival Internacional de Poesia) to create an unprecedented South-to-South cultural exchange, connecting communities from South American coast to Australian desert. Both festivals look up to the same southern cross (Acrux) and Magellanic Clouds. Both festivals take place in Dark Skies areas. Australia’s event will highlight the importance of dark skies to astronomy, wildlife and culture, and the challenges faced by light pollution.
Nine poets – six Australian and three Chilean – are working with Australian Astronomers to explore the three core concepts merging poetry with astronomy: Waterways, Signways and Skyways. The project will culminate in a flagship bilingual public event on Arrernte Country (Mparntwe/Alice Springs), featuring live sky tours, poetry performances, and a celebration of dark‑sky stewardship and cross‑cultural knowledge exchange.
Science for Health: Climate and Health Awareness in Remote Australia
Grant recipient: Menzies School of Health Research
The climate is changing… but what does that mean for our health, especially in the Red (hot) Centre? And what can we do about it? Science for Health: Climate and Health Awareness in Remote Australia will explore how the changing climate and extreme heat affect the health of the environment and, directly and indirectly, human health.
The day will include hands-on activities, such as a Solar Centre scavenger hunt exploring renewable energy, tracking air quality with apps, soil and water testing, microscope sessions exploring beneficial versus harmful microbes and the importance of hand hygiene, and a climate and health quiz. Temperature monitoring with thermal cameras will show indoor versus outdoor heat, the value of shade, and how hot it gets in a closed car – all in full heat-mapping colour. And thermochromic paint (paint that changes colour with temperature) will be used to visually demonstrate surface heat.
Inspiring talks by leading Australian climate scientists will showcase possible pathways, encouraging young people in remote and regional areas to pursue careers in science.
