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Collecting Insights: Environmental Adaptation in Victoria @ Parliament of Victoria

22 August 2021 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

The ACCLIMATISE Major Partner Special Event.

Sunday 22 August 2pm

What do our best-loved public science engagement institutions tell us about future environmental adaptation through their collections and research in Victoria? When you visit the Museum or Zoo or Botanical gardens, it can be a fascinating and fun day out, yet many don’t realise our public institutions are engine rooms of important environmental research. There is a diverse range of work happening behind the scenes to measure, understand, plan, and adapt for the future of biodiversity in Victoria.

Join us for our ACCLIMATISE special panel conversation, streamed live from the Legislative Council Chamber at Parliament House with a small invited live audience of families, to learn from the botanists, zoologists and collection managers leading this important work. Find out some of the ways they are planning to help our plants and animals adapt to our state’s warming, drying climate.

Professor Tim Entwisle, Director and Chief Executive, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Professor Tim Entwisle is Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. A highly respected scientist and scientific communicator with a broad interest in plants, science and gardens, he was director of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust for eight years, and spent two years at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew before returning to Australia. His PhD from La Trobe University concerned the discovery and classification of a group of algae never studied before in this country. Tim is interested more generally in the seasonality of plants and algae and is the author of Sprinter and Sprummer: Australia’s Changing Seasons.

Dr Ken Walker, Senior Curator of Entomology, Museums Victoria. I am a senior curator in the entomology (insects and spiders) section. I have worked at Museums Victoria since 1981. My research interests are in native Australian bees (in particular the family Halictidae) and pollination syndromes (what bee pollinates what plant). I have actively promoted my entomological experiences through several museum exhibitions, biodiversity, biosecurity and citizen science websites and I have given talks to field naturalists groups throughout Victoria as well as Australian and overseas conferences. I have described over 150 new species of native bees, especially in the genera Homalictus and Lasioglossum and I have several species of Australian bees named after me.

Dr Sally Sherwen, Director of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria. Dr Sally Sherwen is the Director of Wildlife Conservation and Science at Zoos Victoria. She manages the team that has a strategic focus across the zoos conservation and education programs, science and research programs, life sciences development (animal welfare, species planning, animal husbandry optimisation) and environmental sustainability. Sally’s background is in Animal Welfare Science and Human-Animal Relationships.

Kate Phillips, Senior Curator Science Exhibitions, Museums Victoria (Facilitator and Analyst). I develop content for exhibitions, public events and publications on topics relating to science, technology and society for audiences of different ages, interests and backgrounds. As a member of creative exhibition teams I am responsible for content development and public communication across whole gallery spaces, an entire exhibition or individual exhibits depending on the scope of the project. To create dynamic and relevant experiences we use a range of media – from physical interactives and interactive multimedia and games, to immersive environments, to push button models and heritage object displays.