From digging for buried artefacts to examining the intricate structure of leaves, flowers and seeds, Hawkesbury residents are being invited to become scientists for National Science Week 2026.
Running from 15 to 23 August, National Science Week is Australia's annual celebration of science and technology, with more than 2,000 events held across the country each year.
This year's theme, “Seeds of Science: Nurturing Knowledge for All”, will be brought to life locally through a series of free displays and activities organised by Hawkesbury Arts & Culture, the Hawkesbury Library Service and Hawkesbury Regional Museum.
The program aims to show that science isn't confined to laboratories. It can be found in the plants growing around us, objects buried beneath our feet and the inventions that have transformed everyday life.
Science comes to the library
Both Central Library at Windsor and Richmond Branch Library will host interactive pop-up displays packed with hands-on activities for children and adults.
The Seeds of Science Display, running from 15 to 31 August, will take visitors on a journey through the development of inventions, showing how a simple idea can evolve over time into something extraordinary.
Visitors will also be able to explore palaeontology and environmental science and discover how living things grow and respond to their environment.
The displays are free, require no booking and are open to all ages during normal library opening hours.
Central Library is at 300 George Street, Windsor, while Richmond Branch Library is at 29 West Market Street, Richmond.
Young archaeologists can dig into the past
At the Hawkesbury Regional Museum, 8 Baker Street, Windsor, children can swap their pencils for archaeological tools and try their hand at uncovering the past.
The Museum's Digging up the Past activity will feature mini archaeological dig boxes where young participants use brushes and tools to uncover objects hidden beneath the sand.
But finding the objects is only part of the job.
Participants will also record their discoveries on artefact record sheets, introducing children to the careful observation and documentation that forms an important part of archaeological work.
Digging up the Past runs from 15 to 23 August during Museum opening hours. It is free, requires no booking and is suitable for children under 12.
Looking closely at nature
For older participants, the Museum is also turning to the natural world for inspiration.
Adults and teenagers will have an opportunity to take part in a Botanical Illustration workshop in the Museum's new Aboriginal Teaching Garden, Ngarra Ngurang / Place of Learning.
Participants will slow down and look closely at the smallest details of plants—from the structure of leaves to flowers and seeds before creating expressive botanical illustrations.
The activity brings art and science together, demonstrating how careful observation of nature has long been an important part of understanding and documenting the living world.
The setting in Ngarra Ngurang also provides an opportunity for participants to engage with plants in a space specifically created for learning.
Science is everywhere
National Science Week is intended to encourage Australians of all ages to engage with science, technology, engineering and innovation.
The Hawkesbury program takes that idea beyond textbooks and classrooms.
A child brushing sand away from a hidden object is learning about archaeology. A visitor examining how an invention changed over generations is exploring technology and innovation. Someone carefully drawing the structure of a seed is practising scientific observation.
And examining how plants respond to their environment provides a window into biology and environmental science.
For families looking for something different to do this August, many of the local activities can simply be visited during normal opening hours and are free.
With activities ranging from prehistoric discoveries to the science contained in a single leaf, National Science Week is planting plenty of opportunities for curiosity across the Hawkesbury.
More information about the national program is available from National Science Week.
