The National Science Week action starts on 10 August and runs till 18 August, we have a quick round up of what’s on around Jervis Bay and beyond, so get your nerd on and book in quickly because science is cool and these tickets are hot.
Check out the National Science Week website to find more events in your area.
Jervis Bay Maritime Museum
Always a champion of Science Week, Jervis Bay Maritime Museum is hosting events for kids and adults this year.
Two “species survival” sessions will talk us through the plight of some very important fauna and what we can do to help ensure their futures. These talks are included with museum entry fees, $12.50/$10/free for u16.
First up is the humble bee. Two types of bee, in fact, the native bees and the introduced honey bee. There’s a teeny weeny parasite, the Varroa mite that is currently threatening bee populations, and this will be a topic in the talk by Professor Saul Cunningham from ANU. Saul is an expert on pollinators in both wild and farmed landscapes, with more than 30 years in the field. Starts at 10.30am on Saturday 17 August.
The bees will be followed by the birds, of course. In this talk, some of our local endangered species – such as the Gang Gang and Glossy Black cockatoos and the Powerful Owls – will be in the spotlight. Yolande Cozijn, who is a member of BirdLife Shoalhaven and a talented bird photographer, will talk us through identifying these species, as well as their diet and habitat. Starts at 11.30am on Saturday 17 August.
If you prefer your science with extra flavour, then the Bubbles and Bivalves presentation on Friday 16 August at 3pm is for you. Taste some freshly shucked oysters and sip on a slender glass of sparkling wine while you learn about our oyster reefs.
The presenter is Jillian Keating, DPI Oyster Reef Restoration, and the companion exhibition is “Bidhiinja – Restoring Our Oyster Reefs”. The travelling exhibition is co-curated by DPI Fisheries and the Australian National Maritime Museum, and it shares the stories of forgotten oyster reefs from the point of view of First Nations knowledge, western science and Aboriginal art. Starts at 3pm on Friday 16 August, $30 includes sparkling wine and oyster tasting. Order additional oysters with your ticket for $13.50/½ doz or $26/doz.
Our Future Shoalhaven
The sounds of science, specifically underwater acoustics, is the topic of a fascinating talk by Dr Nigel Helyer for Science Week, brought to you by the environmental advocacy group, Our Future Shoalhaven. Nigel’s talk is titled “AquaSonics: the noisy ocean” and will include insights into how marine life uses sound, for example, to navigate and communicate, as well as the effects of human-generated noise under the water on marine life.
Nigel is an internationally renowned multi-disciplinary artist, who has an exhibition n inside the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum now until 13 October. Called Sonus Maris, this is well worth a visit too, for the unique blending of coastal research and sound – a unique and deeply thoughtful experience.
Back to the Science Week talk, which will be in the Classroom on the museum grounds, your $10 ticket is raising funds for Our Future Shoalhaven and includes afternoon tea.
Explore Nature in Bomaderry Creek
Explore the rich biodiversity of the environment around Bomaderry Creek – a favourite walking spot for locals and visitors – with expert guidance from a whole host of very interesting and knowledgeable people.
People such as bird enthusiast and artist, Carla Jackett, ecologist David Rush and Landcare coordinator Terry Barratt, plus skilled naturalist Dion Maple.
Register for this free event that starts at 12.30pm on Sunday 11 August, setting out from the picnic area on Narang Road, and find out why this little bushland oasis is a jewel in our area.
Gondwana Fossil Walk
Step back 270 million years and discover a time when the land beneath your feet was a shallow sea, teeming with life – once you know what to look for, the evidence will leap out at you as you walk our coastline.
Join experienced Fossil Walk Guide, Mike Jeffries as he unveils a wealth of marine invertebrate fossils, that have been preserved in stunning detail by the unique conditions of the South Coast over millions of years. Register for this free walk that commences at 10am on Friday 16 August from Fossil House in Ulladulla.
If you can’t make it during Science Week, choose another time from the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk.
Bundanon Snake Walk
No guarantees that the subject of this guided nature walk at Bundanon will show their faces, but the Broad-headed snake may be lurking under the rocky sandstone escarpment as you pass by under the expert guidance of two scientists who revel in the herpetological world (that’s snakes and reptiles, fyi).
The walk sets out from The Homestead at 10.30am on Saturday 17 August, and meanders through the forest where a pilot program of habitat creation for these creatures is underway with Shoalhaven Landcare.
Your experts are Professor Jonathon Webb from UTS and Jack Hind from Landcare, who will share their love of the land and its secretive inhabitants along the walk and afterwards with morning tea.
The $25/$20/$10 ticket includes morning tea and entry into the Bundanon art museum. Wear sturdy walking shoes and a hat.
