The inaugural Lithgow Valley Wildflower Display - A collection of local native species collected locally by botanists and enthusiasts.
Top: The inaugural Lithgow Valley Wildflower Display - A showcase of springtime flowering specimens from across the Seven Valleys Region.
Bottom: A display of unique wildflowers and workshops exploring the botanical sciences
A display of diverse wildflowers from across the region
The STEAM Fair will feature an inaugural Wildflower Display, created in partnership with local botanist and naturalist Chris Jonkers and Julie Favell, and will showcase a wide selection of springtime flowering specimens from across the Seven Valleys region, including from The Foundations site. The Wildflower Display will be an opportunity to explore the regions own unique flora with scientists, artists and naturalists who will be on hand to answer questions and lead visitors through some exciting drop-in style workshops and activities.
In the lead up to the STEAM Fair, a FREE Wildflower Preservation Workshop will be held on Saturday 28th October 2023, 11am - 1pm at The Annexe at The Foundations, Portland NSW.
For more information and to book
Also at the STEAM fair EXPO
Associate Professor Joanne Jamie and Dr Ian Jamie who are chemistry academics at the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University will be hosting a hands-on stall where you will extract and test your own medicine from a native plant, inspired by the customary knowledge of First Nations peoples, and use the colourful pigments of fruit to capture light and produce solar energy.
Artist and educator, Gabriella Hegyes, will be conducting live experiments in botanical dyeing using local native plants, encouraging viewers to create their own work by exploring new techniques, including print making.
Creative producer and renowned forager and author, Diego Bonetto will be introducing audiences to the ever-present food and medicine plants that surround them.
East Coast Wildflowers, an award-winning flower farm and leading supplier of Australian and South African Wildflowers, will be demonstrating the basics of native flower care and floristry.
Getting to the STEAMFair
The STEAM Fair will be held at The Foundations, Portland NSW, a heritage-listed site of the former Portland Cement Works Precinct in Central West NSW, a 2.5 hour drive from Sydney.
The Foundations is a rare combination of industrial heritage and natural beauty that is being revitalised into a unique regional destination, offering a diverse range of authentic cultural, educational, community and recreational experiences.
STEAM Fair is proudly supported by
STEAMworks is a not-for-profit community education hub, created to inspire and upskill young people in the Lithgow and Central West region with a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths and Medicine. Funding for STEAMWorks has been provided by the Federal Government through the Black Summer Bushfire Resilience Program.