SA: Explore the Naracoorte Caves online
National Science Week in SA
Our early picks of highlights
- Daleks, drones, dino puppets, and Nitro Nat at Science Alive! – Wayville Showgrounds
- Giant ancient kangaroos, Tasmanian tigers, and a singing palaeontologist – online, via Naracoorte
- Plants in space! How to grow a Martian garden – Roseworthy
More on each of the highlights below.
National Science Week in South Australia is coordinated by Inspiring South Australia. Visit their website: inspiringsa.org.au.
Daleks, drones, dino puppets, and Nitro Nat at Science Alive! – Wayville Showgrounds
- Nitro Nat – Science of Music Show
- Animals Anonymous Wildlife Show
- Meet the baby dino puppets
- Plus, footy science, esports, exploding elephant toothpaste, robot wars, live animal encounters, flying drone displays, daleks, and the scientific bubble show: more than 80 different science sessions, displays, and activities, all under one roof.
- These are just some of the speakers, activities, and displays at a bigger than ever Science Alive!, with events held over 3 days in over 16,000 m2 at the Adelaide Showground.
STEM Day Out (schools): Friday 2 August. Saturday 3 August – Sunday 4 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-alive-6/wayville
Media enquiries: Yuliya Ten, yuliya@eventcrowd.com.au or 08 8242 8400.
Giant ancient kangaroos, Tasmanian tigers, and a singing palaeontologist – online, via Naracoorte
Naracoorte Caves is home to an exquisitely preserved giant wombat, a 2.5 metre kangaroo, marsupial lions, giant monitor lizards, Tasmanian tigers, and other megafauna fossils. It’s one of the largest and oldest fossil sites in the world, celebrating the 30th anniversary of its World Heritage listing this year.
Meet the megabeasts and the scientists who study them through webinars presenting the latest discoveries in the caves, livestreamed from within the caves themselves. Significant discoveries include finding new species of animals and understanding how mammals respond to climate change.
In addition, the singing palaeontologist Professor Flint will launch his new album ‘Dancing with Diprotodons!’
Sunday 11 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/world-heritage-beyond-the-boundaries/
Media enquiries: Thoman Shortt, thomas.shortt@sa.gov.au
For Professor Flint: Michael Mills, michael@heapsgood.com.au or 0411 287 381.
Plants in space! How to grow a Martian garden – Roseworthy
Could you live in a Martian garden? Over the next 30 years, human missions to the moon and Mars are planned: but can these extreme environments provide habitat for humans?
Five events across South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia will invite the public to explore these challenges and try their hand at life beyond Earth in ‘The Martian Garden’.
Hear from ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space researchers about selecting and adapting plant and microbial species to survive and thrive in new and extreme environments, how to support sustainable new ecosystems off-world, and how to find novel approaches back on Earth.
Sunday 18 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-martian-garden/roseworthy/
Media enquiries: Lieke van der Hulst, lieke.vanderhulst@adelaide.edu.au or 08 8313 6669; Frazer Thorpe, f.thorpe@latrobe.edu.au or 0459 762 299.
Scientists Jenny Mortimer and Christine Feinle-Bisset are available for media interviews.
The Roseworthy location will include demonstrations of Mars Rovers at the Exterres Analogue Facility, which could provide interesting visual opportunities.