Educational Events and Workshops
Educational Events
Geoscience Knowledge Management co-ordinates a number of educational events in collaboration with other institutions to educate the community about geoscience, demonstrate the work of the Geological Survey of NSW and provide information about career pathways to students.
Regular events are:
Tocal Field Days (May)
This event is held at the Tocal Agricultural Centre and is co sponsored by the NSW state government. Mineral Resources Branch staffs a booth where geoscientists explain various aspects of geoscientific work. These could include activities demonstrating how to use a petrological microscope, what geophysics computer graphics mean or what the local geology is like. The booth is supported with educational posters, geological hand specimens and hard copies of maps and publications. The geoscientists also provide information about geology, rocks, minerals, fossils, geoscientific careers and teaching materials.
Science in the Suburbs (May)
Mineral Resources collaborates with the Australian Museum and The University of Sydney for a one day event held at the W B Clarke Geoscience Centre, Londonderry. The day is designed to give senior high school students an insight into how mineral exploration is carried out in NSW and introduce them to the range of careers available in the earth sciences. The students learn about the current technology and techniques and meet geologists, petrologists, geophysicists and palaeontologists. Some of the activities include identifying rocks using thin sections under a microscope; conducting a mini geophysical survey to show how areas of mineral potential are identified using drill cores to investigate rocks beneath the Earth’s surface; and using observational skills to determine the scenario of a fossil death scene.
Science in the Bush (September)
Mineral Resources Branch will support this event at Orange with educational activities similar to Science in the Suburbs.
Earth Science Week (October)
This is an international event sponsored by the American Geological Institute. Mineral Resources Branch participates by providing a four week display on the current Earth Science Week theme at the East Maitland Library.
Training Workshops for Industry
Workshops are scheduled periodically for training in the use of EROL, the on-line lodgement of exploration reports system. Workshops for MinView and DIGS are scheduled if there is sufficient demand.
Contact: digs.info@industry.nsw.gov.au
Links to educational materials
- AUSIMM
- Australian Museum On-line
- Australian Prospectors & Miners Hall of Fame
- DIGS interactive database
- Earth: Portrait of a planet
- Earth Science Australia
- Extreme Science – World records in earth sciences
- Fossils Facts
- Geological Society of Australia
- Geological Survey of NSW
- Geoscience Australia
- Geoscience Pathways
- Landlearn
- Minerals and Petroleum: Lightning Ridge
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Minerals Council of NSW
- MinView spatial search interactive database
- NSW HSC: Earth and environmental science website reviews
- One Geology
- Petroleum Exploration society of Australia (PESA)
- Science in the Bush
- Science in the City
- Science in the Suburbs
Links to Geological groups
- Amateur Geological Society of the Hunter Valley
- Australian Age of Dinosaurs
- Australia through time
- Fossil Club of NSW
- Gem and Lapidary Council of NSW
- Gemmological Association of Australia
- Geological Society of Australia
- Geological Society of Australia: specialist group in education
- Hunter Earth Science Discussion Group (HEDG)
- Lightning Ridge, Australia - Home of the Black Opal
- Mineralogical Society of NSW
- The Ages of Fishes Museum
- The Hunter Valley Gemmology Club
- Ulladulla Fossil Walk/