Danielle Carey and Amelie Ecology (AKA Dr Amelie Vanderstock) welcomed guests to the MAGNIFY event at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre.
Story and photos by Gabiann Marin
Ever wondered what the world looks like to a tiny insect? It’s something we don’t often ask ourselves, but that very question was the basis of a recent interactive community performance MAGNIFY, hosted by Wildground Creative Adventures and featuring environmental songstress Amelie Ecology. The event was designed to help locals, young and old, think about the wonderful contributions insects make to our lives and show how we can support them, and their vital role in our environment.
Key Points:
Insects are the key driving force in our ecosystem. Rethinking and reframing our attitudes towards them and educating children and adults about their importance can have a huge positive impact on planetary health.
The recent MAGNIFY event at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre focused on the importance of insects.
Local entertainer, singer and environmental scientist Amelie Ecology launched her debut album and her scientist activity kit and workbook at the event.
On the 8th June the courtyard of the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre was transformed into a magical world of giant mushrooms and metre high flowers buzzing with activity. Literally buzzing, as eager young people and the occasional adult dressed up as butterflies, bees, spiders and beetles, enjoying the interactive activities that characterised the MAGNIFY event.
Organised by Danielle Carey of Wild Ground Creative Adventures and Amelie Ecology (AKA Dr Amelie Vanderstock), the event was a day of fun-filled activities, performances and interactive play designed to encourage young people and their parents to rethink their ideas around insects.
Amelia loved being a butterfly.
“I think immersive experiences like MAGNIFY are groundbreaking for the community. We’re merging outdoor adventure, ecological storytelling, and creative art. But we’re doing it in ways that the audience co-creates alongside us at each step of the process,” Danielle enthuses.
“So we’re exploring connective practice and ecological relationships. It’s deeper learning. And an approach that hopefully inspires the community with hope, joy and wonder.”
Bushcraft and creative interactive events were a key focus at MAGNIFY.
As well as dress-up and creative craft activities, the day featured jaw dropping circus acts by the multi-talented performers of Stuart Christie’s Bah-Hah Circus. The performances comprised of several beautifully choreographed vignettes – each featuring a different tiny creature – from native bees to ladybirds.
As young girls dangled from trapeze or floated in clouds of silken fabric above the heads of the awestruck crowds, the beauty and elegance of the insect world was perfectly demonstrated.
The acrobatic sisters Ella and Anna transformed into bees as part of Stuart Christie’s Bah-Hah Circus performance.
The centrepiece of the day was the launch of Amelie Ecology’s album and educational science kit ‘Let’s Bee Scientists’ which aim to inspire children of all ages to fall in love with environmental science through a mixture of playful songs and educational activities.
Amelie and Gabi, introduced by Danielle Carey, launched their debut Album ‘Let’s Bee Scientists’ at the MAGNIFY event.
The album and educational pack feature songs and activities explaining why we should care about soil micro-organisms, native bee diversity and the importance of pollinators in providing the food we eat. In Amelie’s own words the whole project is all about providing an “ecosystem of learning!”
While Amelie’s songs and activities are light-hearted and fun, the information contained is surprisingly thorough, thanks to Amelie’s PhD studies in environmental science and ecology at the University of Sydney. Her doctorate focused on native bees in urban environments. Although she could have followed a more academic path, Amelie believes that the key to effective environmental preservation and education is through hands-on and creative engagement with children and adults through song, play and enjoyment.
Amelie Ecology as a Blue Banded Bee gets a closer look at the audience.
Amelie Ecology’s debut album launch and Danielle’s 10 year business anniversary were the catalyst for creating the event, but both women wanted it to be more than just about their own work, and something that the community could enjoy and learn from.
“All of my immersive work has focussed on allowing the unseen to be seen,” Danielle says. “Playing around with the micro vs macro. My work is playful and quirky, which invites the audience to develop meaningful ecological relationships in creative ways that inspire joy, well-being and connection.”
MAGNIFY not only provided an opportunity for the community to enjoy local creativity, it was also an innovative way to address negative thinking about insect species.
As Amelie Ecology explains beautifully in her catchy new tune “They’re not all pests!”, insects are the foundations of our ecological systems, yet very little is known about them.
Dr Kate Umbers, a Blue Mountains local and Head Lecturer in Zoology at Western Sydney University, is quick to point out that insects make up over 95% of the species of animals on Earth, with an estimated 300,000 species living in Australia alone.
“Of that only 100,000 have been properly documented and studied,” Kate reveals. “We don’t even know exactly what is out there.”
A native Australian Blue Banded Bee: the inspiration behind Amelie Ecology’s outfit at MAGNIFY. (Photo: Creative Commons license)
Danielle and Amelie understand that getting to know these creatures and developing a respect for them is a key driver for environmental health more widely.
Certainly, the children at the event had no negative assumptions about our friendly bugs and were delighted to become an insect for a day, as they fluttered, scuttled and crawled about the courtyard in fabulous handmade costumes.
Children buzz around Amelie Ecology during her performance.
Danielle also joined in the dress-up fun, appearing as a Dragonfly, while Amelie Ecology presented as a blue banded native bee, interacting with the children and parents throughout the event.
Danielle Carey as ‘Dragonfly’.
“We’ve always believed that nature isn’t separate from us: it’s woven into the fabric of who we are,” Danielle reveals. “Events like MAGNIFY and Wildground Creative Adventures programs, from bush school, playgroup, to literacy and science learning initiatives, are designed to reinforce this connection, and inspire wonder in the world around us.”
The Magnify event was made possible thanks to support from a Blue Mountains City of the Arts Trust grant, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre and the generous work of volunteers.
Watch Amelie Ecology perform one of the tracks from the new album in this short video
Get Involved
Find out more about the exciting world of Insects and how you can help them.
The international website iNaturalist hosts photos and information about insects from across the world and their app is designed for budding citizen scientists. Find out more here:
Invertebrates Australia has great resources and information about our native insects as well as opportunities to get involved in upcoming events and citizen science projects to help preserve and protect our insect populations:
Blue Mountains Planetary Health Events Calendar is also a great way to find out about community events happening in your local area. Check out the Katoomba event calendar here:
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Our video on Falling In Love With Glossy Black Cockatoos is now up on our Planetary Health YouTube channel (sorry, it`s too big to share here but there`s a link in our profile).
Jayden Gunn finishes his presentation by saying:
"Care is like a snowball. The more people you tell the bigger the snowball gets, and the further it goes. And the more we know, the more we care. And the more we know, the more we`re able to help."
The video is of our fabulous Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, and includes presentations by Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia, Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, and STEM teacher Samantha Bowden from Glenbrook Public School. There`s a link with the video on how to register for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong on 5 July (and it`s also in our profile). Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=13s
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them! #coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains...
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/ @ph_alliance #planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards...
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/ @bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth...
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information. #planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan...
In this inspiring interview with Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill she talks about her work with Mid Lachlan Landcare, why Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is so important, and why she loves her work so much! Read the full story in Blackheath Area Local News here: https://blackheathnews.com/connecting-landscapes-for-glossy-black-cockatoos/
Book in for the Growing Connected Landscapes Forum at 4pm this Saturday 7 June here: https://events.humanitix.com/growing-connected-landscapes-for-the-glossy-black-cockatoo Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong here: https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
In a world that increasingly feels out of balance, we’re thrilled to be offering Saturday morning Tai Chi and Qigong at 8am this Saturday 7 June (and the first Saturday of every month on our Skill Share Saturdays). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and moving meditation for body, mind and spirit. It is ideal for learning to keep calm amidst chaos but also has health benefits to increase longevity. Harvard Medical School has reported that this gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. It`s particularly popular in Hong Kong, where residents have one of the highest life expectancies in the world! T`ai-Chi has also been found to improve brain function (like memory and mental flexibility) faster than other exercise and, in a recent study, comparing T`aiChi to brisk walking, the martial art was found to be significantly better at reducing blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease, like blood sugar levels and cholesterol. If you’d like to try it out, you can reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3FxWPgR
Learn how to Grow Connected Landscapes for the magnificent Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm on Saturday 7th June. In our first Planetary Health Forum we’ll be hearing from Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, Jayden Gunn from Birdlife Australia and Samantha (Pongi) Bowden from Glenbrook Public School, to learn more about the Glossy and how we can all help improve its habit from the Lower Mountains to Central NSW. We’re also launching a Community Tree Planting Day on 5 July in Goologong (near Cowra) to which we’re hoping we’ll get a large group of volunteers to help make a difference for this beautiful bird (and lots of other species as well!)
Habitat connectivity is essential if species are to adapt and overcome the challenges posed by our changing climate.
Join us as we imagine life as a Glossy Black Cockatoo. We`ll make our way through the temperate eucalypt forests of Dharug & Gundungurra land here in the Blue Mountains before leaving the Great Dividing Range for the Wheat & Sheep belt of the Central Tablelands. Our journey ends on Wiradjuri Land, North West of Cowra in the dry scleropyhyll forests of the Conimbla & Nangar National Parks, the start of the Western Woodland Way
Jayden Gunn is an adept wildlife photographer, ecologist, and environmental educator, with a deep passion for Australian birdlife. Through his lens, he captures Australia`s unique wildlife, using digital storytelling to connect people with nature in meaningful ways.
Links in profile to book in.
Book for the Forum here: https://bit.ly/43FzamP
Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day here: https://bit.ly/3HwYHa5
Watch an interview with Amanda here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77y2jrCzINo&t=52s
Read more about Glenbrook Public Schools work for the Glossy Black here: https://lowermtnslocalnews.com/glossy-black-cockatoos/
Our newsletter is now out! View our video of Dr Keith Suter on "Making Peace in the World Today” and read about Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Cultural Centre. You can also book in for our Mushroom Cultivation and Tai Chi workshops, and our Planetary Health Bushcare on Skill Share Saturday, 7 June. And PS. We’re a finalist in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. Read the newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4dEFL5u
Yesterday a delegation from the University of Sydney and the Razak School of Government in Malaysia visited the Planetary Health Centre to exchange experiences on the challenges all our local governments are facing, including adapting to climate change, managing ageing populations, and finding economic opportunities for small councils to support their community`s needs. @rsog_insta #localgovernment #planetaryhealth #disasterriskreduction #systemicchange #councils #malaysia #exchange...
As part of an international project to advance science communication for Planetary Health (SciCoPH), Indonesian science journalists, science communication experts and bioscientists visited the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre to learn more about what we`re doing last month. Read our story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/43MFUjM (link in profile)
Gabiann has worked as in-house writer/editor for Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Médecins Sans Frontières across Australia, Africa and the Asia Pacific. She is an award winning novelist and children’s book author, having won or been shortlisted for several Australian and international writing prizes. She was one of the key designers and the writer of the award-winning multimedia interactive narrative, Kids Together Now, which focuses on helping children deal with issues around bullying and racism. In addition to her role as storyteller for the Planetary Health Initiative, she tutors in narrative and writing at Macquarie University and works as a writer, story developer and script producer.
Building science journalism is pivotal to tackling planetary health, and collaborating internationally is critical as we work together to protect the health of all species. In early April the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre took part in a project funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) entitled “Advancing Science Communication for Planetary Health”
Enjoyed this article? Please help spread the word :)
Support the Future of Solutions-Focused Neighbourhood News
