National Science Week is a great opportunity to follow your curiosity into the natural world. Head outdoors, get close to nature, discover the treasures of night skies, meet curious creatures and more.
The events and activities below are a great place to start.
CSIRO Wild Watch: Help find where our wild things are: Saturday 9 August – Sunday 17 August national
Australia’s science agency is recruiting a citizen science army to help find and photograph species found nowhere else on Earth.
There are 15 million species in CSIRO’s collections. But with such a vast country, scientists need help finding where and how widely these species are spread.
‘CSIRO Wild Watch’ marks the first national science experiment aimed at supersizing research data in the Atlas of Living Australia.
The agency wants schools, families and community groups to sign-up, head outdoors and snap photos of flora and fauna. They’re particularly looking for sightings of shark and ray eggs, yellow/orange lichen, snails, wattle, and Australian flowering heaths (Epacris).
Walk with Wildlife Experience: Saturday 9 August – Sunday 17 August in Appollo Bay
Nestled in the heart of the Otways along the spectacular Great Ocean Road, Wildlife Wonders offers a rare glimpse into a thriving natural world where native wildlife roams freely, safe from introduced predators, and surrounded by protected habitats, all just 3.5 hours from Melbourne.
Guided by an ecological conservationist, the experience invites people to explore the unknown and begin decoding nature’s hidden language. Wander through eucalypt woodlands, ancient fern gullies and coastal grasslands to discover the remarkable connections within these ecosystems. From tracks in the soil to birdsongs in the canopy, and the quiet workings of fungi beneath your feet, the environment is alive with messages waiting to be understood.
Slime Mould Forest Walk: Sunday 17 August in Black Sugarloaf, TAS
During a walk in the forest, naturalist and internationally celebrated slime mould expert Sarah Lloyd will describe the life cycle of slime moulds and their role in the ecosystem. Sarah will indicate the sort of places slime moulds inhabit, how and where to find them, and outline the difficulties of identifying Australian species, many of which require DNA sequencing to confirm their identity.
Science In and Out of the Pub: Frogs, fungus and funky metals – Thursday 14 August in Turner
Something strange is happening in our wetlands. The frogs are falling silent—and scientists are racing to find out why. Join us for an evening of detective-style science, where real-world conservation meets curiosity, creativity, and community.
At this relaxed, interactive event, guests will step into the world of amphibian research, where the culprit is a deadly fungus with a name as long as its impact: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. But this isn’t just a sad story—it’s also one of innovation and hope.
Canberra scientists are experimenting with unexpected tools: frog-sized saunas, spa treatments, and even trace metals like copper and zinc that might give frogs a fighting chance.
Into the Deep – Science today, for our oceans tomorrow: Thursday 14 August in Sydney
From saving the Sydney seahorse and protecting the zebra shark to restoring Sydney’s underwater forests: ocean researchers are going to great efforts to protect and restore Sydney’s ocean environments.
Experts will take part in a panel discussion at the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium on the diverse paths, insights and challenges faced by conservation researchers. The aquarium’s current exhibits highlight these projects and the impact of research on habitat restoration, fisheries sustainability and endangered species protection.
From Antarctic lichens to the oldest hornworts: Von Mueller’s 1.5 million specimens across time: Thursday 14 August at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens
How can lichen survive the Antarctic landscape while also growing in the hottest deserts?
Scientists from Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria will tell their favourite stories about some of the 1.5 million specimens of plants, algae, and fungi at the National Herbarium of Victoria.
Learn about the founder of the herbarium, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, on his 200th birthday and discover how these historic collections continue to inform science today.
National Science Week at Canning River Eco Education Centre: Saturday 16 August in Perth
Kids can join in the fun of learning during National Science Week with FREE events at Canning River Eco Education Centre (CREEC).
Be an Algae Buster and learn how to care for our rivers, discover and draw gum tree weevils, get the buzz about native bees and make a bee hotel, and get close to some of our amazing reptiles.
Southern Nights – The Science and Beauty of Aurora Australis: Saturday 9 August to Monday 18 August in Hobart
Tasmania is the best place in the world to see the Southern Lights (aka Aurora Australis).
See how space weather, solar activity and particles from the Sun create epic displays when they hit Earth’s atmosphere in the ‘Southern Nights’ exhibition at Salamanca Arts Centre.
And find out what causes mesmerising aurora displays like arcs, rays, curtains and a rare phenomenon called STEVE.
Timed during the 2025 solar maximum (11-year peak of Sun’s activity) the exhibition brings together award-winning photography, timelapse footage and a ‘live aurora dashboard’ providing real-time space weather data.
Birds and Bugs – Wetlands Wonders of Renmark’s Restored Floodplains: Saturday 16 August in Renmark
Bird spotters and bug catchers wanted: Renmark Irrigation Trust is seeking citizen scientists to help document birds and bugs making a comeback to restored Murray River floodplains.
Participants will look for native woodland and wetland birds and learn how to collect, identify and preserve insects for Renmark’s first floodplain invertebrate record.
Biodiversity Buzz: Top End Eco Science Fair: Saturday 23 August in Darwin
Tuck into bush tucker and learn about Indigenous plant and animal knowledge, purchase native plants from an array of 120+ species, and explore soil chemistry, pest management and the importance of habitat preservation.
‘Biodiversity Buzz: Top End Eco Science Fair’ brings together experts in environmental science, botany, zoology, microbiology, ecology and social sciences at Darwin’s Jingili Water Gardens.
The free, family-friendly event includes interpretative walks, tips on boosting biodiversity in your home garden, the science of plant classification, a guided children’s scavenger hunt, and native wildlife encounters from birds to bees, butterflies and bugs.
Bio Buzz aims to enhance community knowledge about Top End ecosystems and encourage locals to safeguard terrestrial, freshwater, marine and estuarine biodiversity.
Nature’s Blueprint: Saturday 9 August – Monday 11 August on Magnetic Island off Townsville
Discover meaningful and practical ways to better safeguard our planet through a series of workshops and tours on regenerative design, First Nations knowledge systems, the circular economy and biodiversity conservation.
Nature’s Blueprint is organised by GRaB (Grow Recycle & Build) Eco Park.
Activities include turning waste into construction materials (glass into sand and plastic into sheets), crafting products from organic waste (coffee ground tiles), creating natural dyes from plant-based materials, Indigenous land management (cultural and ecological importance of cool burning and medicinal plant use) and learning about native island plants.
More events for nature lovers
- The Great Beach Lab: Science in the sand: Thursday 14 August in Hallet Cove, SA
- Stayin’ Alive – Discovery walk and nature spotlighting: Friday 15 August in Armidale, NSW
- Platypus Family-Friendly Mini Walk: Sunday 17 August in Hobart
- Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch Platypus Month – Guided Walks: Sunday 17 and Sunday 21 August in Queanbeyan East, ACT
- Nature’s Riddle, Solved a Little – Decoding Baranduda’s nature trail: Thursday 7 – Tuesday 19 August in Baranduda, VIC
- Scientific Illustration Forty Spotted Pardalote Workshop: Saturday 16 August in Lunawanna, TAS
- Discover CallTrackers Online: Monday 18 August
