AMplify - Conversations at the Australian Museum

Australian Museum CEO and Executive Director Kim McKay in conversation with Keren Ruki, Creative Producer of the Pacific Collections in the Cultural Collections, Conservation & Consultancy Branch at the Australian Museum.

“Of the 60,000 fantastic objects in the pacific collection, we have about 1,500 from New Zealand, so it was awesome for me, living away from New Zealand, to have a contact point back to my culture through the collections.” Keren Ruki

Join ‘long-rider’ Tim Cope for an evening on the Steppe.

“Discovery has never been just about mapping new places, it’s about human discoveries, about meeting people and bringing back those learnings to our own society and changing ones perspective of the world.” Tim Cope

In June 2004 Tim Cope set off on an epic journey: to ride horses on the of Genghis Khan, a 10,000 kilometre march the length of the Eurasian Steppe, from Karakorum in Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea and the Ukraine to Hungary. The journey took him more than three years and led him deep into the fabric of nomad society on the Eurasian steppe.

Six months into the trip, a Kazakh nomad concerned that Cope travelled alone, gave him a young dog named Tigon. Cope’s new companion would share his challenges, braving wolves, horse thieves and extreme temperatures, and offer comfort as Tim grieved the tragic loss of his father.

Tim earned both Young Adventurer of the Year and Adventurer of the Year awards from the Australian Geographic Society, and Adventurer of the Year from National Geographic. His books and films have inspired audiences worldwide.

Join Tim in this recording on Thursday 7 April 2016 for an inspiring talk about his adventures as a ‘long-rider’, a special breed of explorer who travels to discover something of both the cultures they encounter and themselves.

Trailblazers Talks, presented by Australian Geographic, brings together Australia’s greatest living explorers for a series of inspirational events. The 21-weeks series was held on Thursday evenings at the Australian Museum from 25 February – 14 July 2016.

This week, another LIVE Trailblazers Talk, join ‘long-rider’ Tim Cope for an evening on the Steppe.

This week Kim McKay speaks to ornithologist Dr Richard Major about the plight of native birds in Sydney.

Australian Museum CEO and Executive Director Kim McKay in conversation with Ornithologist Dr Richard Major, Principal Research Scientist in Terrestrial Vertebrates Collection at the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI).

“In Sydney there would be fewer than 20 White Fronted Chats left… this bird was collected in 1867 from Homebush Bay, I find this quite an emotional little specimen. You think about how long they have been living there, we’ve managed to have them in the museum for 150 years, but now that population will be extinct very shortly, down to one individual.” Dr Richard Major

The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes reward excellence in the fields of research & innovation, leadership, science communication and school science.

In this podcast, Trailblazers of Australian Science at the 2016 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes launch include Dr Rebecca Johnson, Professor Terry Speed, Professor Maree Teesson, Dr Phillip Urquijo, Professor Emma Johnston and Dr Robyn Williams AM.

“Tonight’s Trailblazers are here to talk about their Eureka moments, the big issues facing Australia’s science, and of course there are many.” CEO and Executive Director of the Australian Museum Kim McKay

This week, listen to some dynamic Trailblazers of Australian Science from the 2016 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes launch.

Australian Museum CEO and Executive Director Kim McKay in conversation with Dr Mark Eldridge, Principal Research Scientist in Mammalogy Collection at the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI).

Australian Museum CEO and Executive Director Kim McKay in conversation with Dr Mark Eldridge, Principal Research Scientist in Mammalogy Collection at the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI).

"It’s the thrill of discovery, but more than that it’s just an appreciation of how amazing Australia really is, and every day you learn something new about how animals have survived in this continent for a very long time, and trying to do your bit to make sure they can continue to survive. " Dr Mark Elridge

Kim McKay, the Director and CEO of the Australian Museum talks with Dr Jodi Rowley, amphibian biologist about her love of frogs and passion for communicating biodiversity conservation.