Image: Bundanon, New York
Bundanon will mark National Science Week 2026 with a day of talks, guided walks and discussions focused on science, nature and ecology. The program centres on a Science Symposium hosted by Clarence Slockee, with additional events unfolding across 21 and 22 August at Bundanon’s art museum and homestead sites in Illaroo, New South Wales.
The headline symposium, 'Growing Knowledge', takes place on Friday 21 August from 9.30am to 3pm at the Bundanon Art Museum’s Boyd Education Centre, 170 Riversdale Road. Bundanon describes the symposium as bringing together leading voices in biodiversity, climate science, ecology and landscape restoration, with talks, conversations and guided walks connected to the theme 'Growing Knowledge: Seeds of Science at Bundanon'. The day includes morning tea and lunch, and symposium tickets also include admission to the Art Museum for the day.
The full symposium schedule ranges across First Nations knowledge systems, environmental research and landscape care. Clarence Slockee opens the day with a smoking and Welcome to Country, followed by a session on Landcare with Greg Thompson of Shoalhaven Landcare, Aaron Taylor of Marring and Rylan Edmistone of Bundanon’s Natural Resources team. Later talks include contributions from Justine E. Hausheer, Chantal Milner, Professor David Guest AM, Dr Liam Engel, Olivia De La Mare, Professor Richard Kingsford AO, Caroline Rothwell and a closing discussion featuring Bill Gammage, Billy Griffiths and host Jerome Comisari.
Bundanon’s National Science Week program continues on Saturday 22 August with 'Reimagining Ecology Through Art and Science', a conversation between Caroline Rothwell and Clarence Slockee at 11am at the Bundanon Art Museum. The event is presented as part of National Science Week and is framed as a discussion of how creative and scientific approaches can help audiences understand ecology, environmental change and their relationship with the natural world. Rothwell’s practice is described by Bundanon as multidisciplinary and research-based, while Slockee is identified as a Salt-Water Cudgenburra/Bundjalung Aboriginal man, environmentalist, educator and cultural design collaborator.
Also on 22 August, ecologist Carl Glaister will lead 'Hidden Chemistry of Native Plants', a guided walk on the Treelines Track from 9.30am to 11.30am at Bundanon Homestead, 533 Bundanon Road. The walk is presented as an exploration of native plant chemistry and hidden ecological relationships, including the ways plants use toxins, scents and other biochemical strategies to defend themselves, communicate, compete and regenerate. Bundanon says the walk is part of National Science Week and notes that it takes place on uneven bush land.
Later that day, Dr Liam Engel will present 'The Secret Life of Psychoactive Plants' at 1pm, expanding the festival’s focus on native flora and scientific inquiry. The email and event pages say the program is designed to continue conversations across the weekend and to connect science with place, including Bundanon’s river-valley landscape. The National Science Week events are listed under Bundanon’s What’s On program, with ticketing available for each session.
