Taking science out of the lab and into the fresh air, celebrate plant and animal science across some of Greater Sydney’s most picturesque gardens and parklands from 9 – 18 August as part of the Sydney Science Festival and National Science Week. Here's a sneak peek of just a few of the beautiful and brainy things you can get up close with this Science Week.
Brainy Bryophytes
Two brainy experts - Matt Renner of the National Herbarium of NSW (pictured) and Lindsay Gray, host of Get Clever (and a real-life research scientist) – are teaming up to showcase the amazing mini world of bryophytes! Bryophytes are very small and very clever plants such as mosses. At Living Laboratory at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney you can view these expert water and nutrient collectors using our amazing video microscope – water our mini bryophyte gardens and see them swell and chance colour!
Beautiful Butterflies
Get up close and enjoy a memorable moment with a kaleidoscope of butterflies (that’s the official term!) at Living Laboratory. Enter the butterfly tent to feed the butterflies and learn about their importance as pollinators – one may even land of you for a special photo opportunity!
Brainy Solar Car
We are hugely excited to have the Sunswift solar car coming to Science in the Swamp at Centennial Parklands! Meet the leaders of solar energy innovation from the University of NSW and get up close to the world-famous Sunswift.
Beautiful Acrobatics
Displaying the amazing strength, balance, and dexterity of the human body, check out our superhero entertainment at Science in the Swamp 2019. Are they defying gravity, or in fact using it to their advantage?
Beautiful Quoll
One of Australia’s endangered beauties, these climbing marsupials are under threat from habitat loss. Learn what you can do to help these native carnivores and get up close to their stunning spotted fur at Science in the Wild at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
Brainy Eyes
Who is bringing live eyes to Science in the Wild? You are! Use your super-human sight and see the tiny little details of our beautiful Australian flora and fauna at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
Beautiful Dinosaur
Dinosaurs found in the depths of the Blue Mountains! A highlight of Gondwana Garden, Erth’s roaming dinosaurs get you up close and personal to the real science of palaeontology. If you are lucky, you’ll also spot Erth’s dinosaurs at Science in the Swamp and Science in the Wild.
Brainy Wollemi Pine
Known as the “dinosaur tree”, find out how this plant survived for hundreds of millions of years to become one of the world’s oldest and rarest plants at Gondwana Garden. The Wollemi Pine was discovered not far from the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah and we consider ourselves experts on this living fossil.
Pick your event and head along to the #sydneysciencefestival for 2019! Once you've had an amazing day of hands-on science, read more about the world-leading work we do across our Botanic Gardens right here.