Life in the Simpson Desert and design for urban heat are the topics of the final Science of the Local of 2017 at Springwood Sports Club
Springwood and Winmalee Neighbourhood Centres invite all Blue Mountains and western Sydney residents to Science at the Local at on Sunday, November 12 from 2.30 pm.
As the Lower Mountains continue to dry and the mercury rises, this free community science event is a great chance to learn about the science of heat.
Speaking will be Dr Kerryn Wilmot, from the University of Technology Sydney, on “Making our hot cities liveable”.
Formerly a practicing architect specialising in sustainability, Dr Wilmot joined UTS in 2012 as a Research Principal at the Institute for Sustainable Futures where she leads the cities and buildings research area. Her applied research focuses on pushing practice and policy in the urban environment towards being regenerative.
Also presenting will be Dr Aaron Greenville, a Warrimoo local and postdoc at the University of Sydney’s Desert Ecology Research Group. He will be speaking about how life persists in the Simpson Desert.
Dr Greenville has more than 16-years of experience in ecology, including regular trips to the outback. He organises his research around three themes: ecosystem responses to climate change, competition and predation, and technology for ecology and environmental sciences.
Science at the Local is free and consists of short and engaging presentations from leading scientists, with time for Q&A and discussion over a meal or drink. No bookings are required.
The event was founded by locals Kevin Joseph and Hamish Clarke and is supported by the Neighbourhood Centres in Winmalee and Springwood, who backed the pilot in November 2014.
Together they form the Blue Mountains Science Hub, a regional focal point for science communication and engagement activities in the mountains. The pair has recently put in a bid for continued funding from the federal government.
“We’ve been so lucky to get support from the Inspiring Australia program,” said Mr Joseph. “Fingers crossed our run of success continues.”
“Unfortunately our day jobs sometimes get in the way of spending as much time on Science at the Local as we’d like to,” said Dr Clarke. “We’re on the lookout for some other keen beans who might like to contribute down the track.”
Science at the Local will return in March 2018, but to stay involved go to www.facebook.com/ScienceAtTheLocal. The initiative is supported by Inspiring Australia and the NSW Government.