Science for everyone: Healthy Land & Water marks National Science Week 2026
As National Science Week 2026 kicks off from 15 to 23 August, Healthy Land & Water is celebrating the vital role science plays in understanding and caring for South East Queensland's (SEQ) landscapes, waterways and communities.
This year's theme, "Seeds of Science: Nurturing knowledge for all", highlights the power of curiosity, inquiry and shared learning in growing scientific understanding.
“I believe it is essential for everyone to have access to science and education. In particular young people because obviously they are going to be our science leaders in the future, and they need to have access to that information so that they can become engaged in science,” says Dr Samantha Lloyd, Knowledge & Science Manager at Healthy Land & Water.
Dr Samantha Lloyd, Knowledge & Science Manager at Healthy Land & Water.
With more than three million people expected to participate in science-related activities across Australia, the week is an opportunity to inspire the next generation of scientists and demonstrate how evidence-based decision-making helps tackle real-world environmental challenges.
Science is at the heart of Healthy Land & Water's approach to natural resource management (NRM). In an ever-changing environment like SEQ, practices such as monitoring, researching, modelling and evaluating help improve ecosystem health, agricultural productivity and community resilience.
This combination provides the evidence needed to understand environmental conditions, identify priorities, guide investment, design on-ground actions, and measure whether those actions are delivering real outcomes.
Science in action: Volunteers planting more than 2,000 native trees at Woodlands District Park, helping restore habitat and creating healthier landscapes informed by environmental research and long-term monitoring.
“The things I most love about my job are coordinating and facilitating science in a way that is really applied, so it really helps to answer those questions that we need answered, and ensuring that the results of that or the way that we share that information is communicated in a way that's really accessible and engaging to different audiences, whether it be community or children or practitioners of different sorts,” Dr Lloyd adds.
Across several projects, Healthy Land & Water's team, including scientists and project managers, collects and analyses long-term environmental data that underpins informed decision-making and supports healthier ecosystems. This work translates into water quality improvement initiatives, sustainable agriculture programs, fire ecology planning, erosion and sediment management projects, among other benefits.
The "Seeds of Science" theme in action: Landholders learning from experts at the Sustainable Agriculture Healthy Soils event in Gatton, turning research and evidence into practical on-farm outcomes.
National Science Week is a reminder that science extends far beyond laboratories and research papers. At Healthy Land & Water, it provides the evidence needed to make informed decisions, solve environmental challenges and support communities across SEQ.
