Astro-boy, bird watcher, octopus wrangler, heart guy… We love our National Science Week characters. They grace our t-shirts, bags, street banners, posters and more.
But it’s time to welcome some new members to the crew. We consulted our brains trust of Inspiring Australia managers and local National Science Week coordinating committee members and asked each state and territory to come up with ideas for new characters to represent the science happening in their part of Australia.
We will be launching them over the coming days here and on social media. Watch this space for updates and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Australian Capital Territory
Every few years, a group of nature’s engineers living near Canberra can be seen wearing nail polish.
Short-Beaked Echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and other wildlife live relatively safely at Mulligans Flat in the Australian Capital Territory. Mulligan’s Flat is Australia’s largest single Box-gum Grassy-woodland area managed for conservation. It is the only woodland of this type free from the ongoing impacts of foxes, cats, rabbits, goats, deer and hares.
Echidnas are important ecosystem engineers. They burrow through 200 cubic metres of soil each year, improving soil quality, helping seeds to germinate, and creating better habitat for other wildlife.
Monitoring echidna populations at Mulligan’s Flat is an important part of ensuring this sanctuary remains a healthy habitat. The Echidna Sweep sees scientists and volunteers from the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust carefully search for Short-Beaked Echidnas, marking the spines of the ones they find with coloured nail polish. Our new Canberran character honours their efforts.
“The echidna is an amazing symbol of nature’s recovery potential at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary,” says Dr Jason Cummings, the CEO of Woodlands & Wetlands Trust. “After we removed the European foxes, our echidna numbers have grown, making it a most reliable place to experience echidnas.”
New South Wales
Dark, moonless nights are perfect for froggy romance. With limited light to give away their location to predators, frogs and toads take a risk to call out for a prospective mate. Scientists and volunteers eavesdrop on their amphibious love songs, recording them with smartphones, apps or recording devices to identify these curious creatures.
This is an example of ‘bioacoustic monitoring’ in action. Bioacoustic science is the study of animal sounds. Monitoring and recording animal sounds is useful for studying nocturnal, shy, or otherwise hard-to-find animals, such as owls, other birds, bats, koalas and more. Frog and toad calls are particularly sought after because these animals need a healthy environment to live in. Their presence or absence acts as an indicator of water quality and ecosystem health.
Australia is a large land to cover. You can help scientists find our croaky friends through citizen science projects such as Frog ID (www.frogid.net.au) and FrogWatch – all you need is a smartphone.
“Frog ID is one of the most popular citizen science apps ever,” says Inspiring Australia New South Wales Manager Meredith Hall. “It’s captured the public’s imagination, so we’re really pleased to have this frog and its scientist representing our state!”
Queensland
A mohawk made of black feathers, striking red patches on their faces, loud, large, and often seen drumming on tree trunks − palm cockatoos are the punk rockers of the rainforest!
Palm cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus) are extremely rare, found only in remote rainforests and savannas of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, the Aru Islands and New Guinea. They are Australia’s largest parrot and the only bird in the world that uses a tool musically: males use sticks or seedpods to tap rhythmically on trees.
“Palm Cockatoos are not just drummers of the Australian rainforest, they’re living symbols of creativity, resilience, and the wild beauty of Cape York,” says wildlife biologist and Inspiring Australia Queensland ambassador Dr Christina Zdenek. “It’s momentous to see them celebrated as a National Science Week character, bringing attention to their endangered status and inspiring curiosity in science and conservation.”
South Australia
Over 500 million years ago, long before dinosaurs, the area we now know as the Flinders Ranges was part of the seafloor of an ancient ocean that teamed with strange organisms. This was the Ediacaran Period, which saw life on Earth transform from a microbial world to one full of complex plants and animals.
Paleontologists and tourists come from all over the world to see our treasure trove of Ediacaran fossils, a snapshot of the long-gone ocean where the first complex animals evolved and were preserved in the sandstone beds of South Australia. They see fossils of long-extinct animals, like Dickinsonia (featured in our new character), a segmented, pancake-shaped animal that could glide gracefully like a slow stingray across the sea floor, absorbing food through its body.
“As a proud South Australian and a passionate geoscientist, I’m excited that Ediacaran fossils are being celebrated in the new National Science Week character for South Australia,” says Dr Steve Hill, Geoscience Australia’s Chief Scientist.
“These fossils from the incredible Flinders Ranges tell an almost 600-million-year story of the beginnings of complex life, hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs evolved. They are a jewel in the crown of South Australian science and are important to all Australians, as well as the whole world. It therefore makes sense that they should be featured in National Science Week. I hope this character sparks conversations and encourages people of all ages to consider the thrills of discovery that Earth Science can bring.”
Northern Territory
Coming soon…
Tasmania
Coming soon…
Victoria
Coming soon…
Western Australia
Coming soon…
