Ramping up at the Australian Museum

As the recently-appointed manager of Climate Change Projects, I am excited about the potential of the Australian Museum to reach new audiences, and help to engage hearts, minds and hands in the climate crisis. We are developing three exhibitions: one online (‘Capturing Climate Change’, an online photographic exhibition with curated and crowd-sourced content, launching 28 Jan 2020), one onsite (‘Climate Change in Australia’, opening Sept 2020) and one touring… in development. Our Sustainability Action Plan is keeping us on track for going carbon neural by mid 2020. One of my main tasks once we start back at our offices in January is consulting with the AM’s many teams about our draft Climate Change Strategy, to gather ideas, directions, and commitment, to allow us to embed effective research, responses to and outreach on climate change across the Museum.

Work with ICOM’s Working Party for Sustainability continues to gather strength. Exciting times!

The fires continue to burn here, destroying huge areas of forest, with their wildlife and their towns. It is incredibly sad. So much loss. I’ve heard there may be a few rain showers today here on the south coast where we have come for a family gathering, a potential sweet Christmas gift; we’ll run out and dance in it! I can see from the Bureau of Meteorology maps a few other parts of New South Wales will also have light scatterings, but most of the country will remain rain-less.

Have a wonderful festive season, relishing family and friends everyone, despite - and because of - all the challenges we are living with!

Jenny Newell,
Convenor, Museums & Climate Change Network
Manager, Climate Change Projects, Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia
jenny.newell [at] austmus.gov.au

24 December 2019