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Creativity / Engineering / Entrepreneurship / Health / Science / Technology

FLAMES OF OPPORTUNITY - Michael-Shawn Fletcher in conversation with Rae Johnston

Join us for our annual Hugh Williamson Lecture, presented by Science Gallery Melbourne in collaboration with Indigenous Knowledge Institute
Thursday 29th October, 2020
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Online Event
Free
Get Tickets

Fire is a fundamental earth systems process. Behind climate, it’s the most important factor that determines vegetation across the earth.

Michael-Shawn Fletcher, July 2020

In a year book-ended by catastrophic bushfires both in Australia and the Americas, it’s clear that existing approaches to caring for Country need to change.

Associate Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher and award-winning STEM journalist, NITV’s Rae Johnston will share a yarn about First Peoples cultural burning traditions as scientific practice and the role of Indigenous futurism.

Join their discussion as they imagine a future where Indigenous knowledge has radically changed the threat of climate change.

MEET OUR SPEAKERS

Associate Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher

Associate Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher is Wiradjuri man, Physical Geography researcher and Assistant Dean (Indigenous), Faculty of Science at University of Melbourne. He is also Director of Research Capability at the Indigenous Knowledge Institute.

His interests are in the long-term interactions between humans, climate, disturbance and vegetation at local, regional and global scales. Professor Fletcher’s current work involves developing and integrating high-resolution palaeoenvironmental records from across the Southern Hemisphere using multiple proxies, including microfossil, charcoal, geochemical and isotopic analyses to provide comprehensive reconstructions of environmental change.

Rae Johnston is a multi-award-winning STEM journalist, Wiradjuri woman, mother, broadcaster, voice actor and MC. Rae is the first ever Science and Technology Editor for NITV, and can be seen hosting That Startup Show, The Point and NITV News. Rae is also the co-host of Take It Blak, NITV’s podcast exploring the stories behind the news, and is currently voicing “Janali Banks” in ABC & Nine’s animated children’s series, Space Nova.

With a decade of experience appearing on every national television and radio network in Australia, Rae is a leading commentator on all things science, technology, video games and geek culture. Rae is a part of the prestigious “brains trust” Leonardos group for The Science Gallery Melbourne, a mentor for Science Media Centre Australia‘s Indigenous Science program, and a Federal Council Delegate for the MEAA.

Image: An epicormic shoot on a burned eucalyptus tree in the Tambo Complex north of Orbost, Victoria (Australia). These shoots allow the tree to continue photosynthesizing while the tree canopy regrows. (DOI/Neal Herbert)

More guests as part of series of conversations on First Peoples’ fire practice in collaboration with Science Gallery Detroit to be announced soon.

Please note, the webinar link for this event will be emailed to all registered attendees closer to the date.

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