The Sydney Science Trail

Discover over 50 amazing virtual science offerings via the Sydney Science Trail, a  highly varied science initiative presented by The Australian Museum and the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Supported by Inspiring Australia as part of National Science Week and by ABC Radio Sydney. We chat with Tori Tasker,
Producer of Science Engagement and Events at the Australian Museum and Christian Eckardt, Team Leader Education and Community Programs at the Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands to find out more!

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About the Sydney Science Trail (Aug 15 – Sept 15, 2020)

The Sydney Science Trail features more than 50 pit stops to visit along the way and is bubbling over with immersive games, virtual panel discussions with Australia’s pre-eminent scientists, explosive science shows and tours from world-class scientists and researchers.  

Discover the beautiful treasures and deadly threats of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in The Living Laboratory 360° virtual tour; beam live to the Coral Sea and uncover its mysterious, briny depths with Exploring Unseen Oceans; gain a timely understanding on how bushfires can be both friend and foe in the Australian Fires – Impacts and Opportunities live panel; and become a certified citizen scientist tracking Australia’s Cane Toad population with your smartphone in the Australian Museum’s FrogID.

Kids can also explore natural tucker that has been used by First Nations people for thousands of years with Bush Food Experience, locate real dinosaurs living amongst us with I Spy a Wollemi, go on a local Bush Blitz to discover the native species in their own backyards, and then help protect them from disease and pests in the Biosecurity Warrior interactive video game.

On the Trail, children, and teens, together with their adult friends and teachers, will have access to Australian science’s top minds through talks and panels traversing topics ranging from the ethics of artificial intelligence to overcoming the gender disparity in STEM. University of Sydney’s Dr Karl Kruszelnicki will host an expert panel tackling The Big Questions of Science; conservationist and former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery will provide unique insight on What does Climate Change Means to You?; and future space cadets can join Australia’s very own engineer for a day at the International Space Station in A Day in the Life of ISS Flight Controller Andrea Boyd.

The Sydney Science Trail school program, created in partnership with the NSW Department of Education, will include over 30 school sessions, inviting students and teachers to explore the theme of adaptation through an immersive, curriculum-linked virtual classroom. 

Students can compete against each other in ANSTO’s National Science Week Hackathon and be inspired by an incredible Women in STEM live panel. 

Meanwhile, teachers and home-schooling parents can expand their horizons with professional development courses on topics such as incorporating Indigenous perspectives into lesson plans, harnessing outdoor learning activities and many more. 

This initiative is supported by Inspiring Australia as part of National Science Week, an annual celebration that excites the inner scientists in all of us.

Sydney Science Trail is also supported by media partner, ABC Radio Sydney.

Visit www.sydneysciencetrail.net.au

About the FizzicsEd Podcast

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their