Events

Science Week 2025

Nature's Blueprint: learning planet-friendly ideas through art, culture and the sciences. GRaB Eco Park, 58 Sooning St — 9, 10 and 11 August 2025, 9am–2pm.

Our role as stewards of this park is to conserve and protect the land while educating residents and visitors about regenerative practices. For National Science Week we brought those ideas to life through 13 interactive stations demonstrating the science behind sustainability.

A large school group visiting GRaB Eco Park during Science Week 2025

Nature's Blueprint: Science Week 2025 at GRaB poster

170+

participants

13

hands-on stations

3

days

16

helpers each day

The 13 stations

Making Earth from Weeds station at Science Week 2025 — Station 1Making Earth from WeedsSoil science & microbes

Vertical Farming station at Science Week 2025 — Station 2Vertical FarmingGrowing food with light, water and minimal space

Re-Makers Lab station at Science Week 2025 — Station 3Re-Makers LabMaking with waste

Exploring Natural Colour station at Science Week 2025 — Station 5Exploring Natural ColourPlant-based paint

Recycling Plastic station at Science Week 2025 — Station 6Recycling PlasticBottle lids into colourful, functional sheets

Cultural Tour station at Science Week 2025 — Station 7Cultural TourTraditional land care, fire knowledge and medicinal plants

Native Plant Tour station at Science Week 2025 — Station 8Native Plant TourProtecting local biodiversity

Protecting Our Pollinators & Biophilic Architecture station at Science Week 2025 — Station 10Protecting Our Pollinators & Biophilic ArchitectureBug hotel workshop and nature in the built environment

Dugong Connections station at Science Week 2025 — Station 11Dugong ConnectionsTropWATER, JCU

MIFCO Wildlife Care & MINT station at Science Week 2025 — Station 12MIFCO Wildlife Care & MINTMeet carers, discover native animal science

Volcanoes, Swamps & Deep Time station at Science Week 2025 — Station 13Volcanoes, Swamps & Deep TimeMagnetic Island's 280-million-year story

Station spotlight

Volcanoes, Swamps & Deep Time

Can you find dinosaur eggs on Magnetic Island?

Around 280 million years ago, deep beneath ancient volcanoes, the island's granite formed. Icy wetlands were filled with strange life — seed-ferns, giant dragonflies, horsetails and toad-like crocs. Today, our wetlands echo that ancient world — and they store more CO2 than forests. At this station visitors traced the island's deep-time story on geological maps and explored career pathways in geology, palaeontology, palaeobotany and archaeology.

The Volcanoes, Swamps and Deep Time station at Science Week 2025, exploring 280 million years of Magnetic Island geology — The Deep Time station — 280 million years of island history.

Illustration of a Carboniferous swamp forest with ancient creatures, as it may have looked 280 million years ago — A Carboniferous swamp, as it may have looked 280 million years ago.

Geological map of Magnetic Island showing ancient volcanic rock formations — Reading the island's geological map — could there be dinosaur eggs here?

How the weekend went

Over the weekend of 9–10 August we welcomed around 100 residents and visitors — families with children, international guests and many mature visitors intrigued by the activities. On Monday 11 August we hosted 24 Year 7 and 8 students and staff from Cowboys House Townsville, a boarding house for Indigenous children from across Australia and the Torres Strait, who especially enjoyed the hands-on activities such as smashing glass for recycling.

In total the event brought together over 170 participants, supported by 16 staff each day. Feedback confirmed that people valued the relaxed, educational atmosphere.

“Even though the buildings were not ready at the Park, Science Week was a stroke of genius as you now have fans and everyone is talking about ‘what else’ could be added — congratulations, and I look forward to it happening annually!”Community feedback

Event organiser: Sara Cole