The recent opening of our Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre on 3 February 2024 was a fantastic success, with 300 people attending throughout an afternoon of engaging science and community chats. The engagements throughout the afternoon were a testament to how important the environment and water is to the local community of the region. Attendees wholeheartedly engaged in our Centre’s learning about the ecosystem, threatened species and changing habitats, and we hopefully encouraged a few budding scientists. We are extremely grateful to Ramindjeri elder Cedric Varcoe, who welcomed us into the Center with a moving smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country.
The CLLMM Research Centre’s vision is for a vibrant and prosperous CLLMM region supported by healthy, productive and dynamic ecosystems that support the CLLMM’s diverse flora and fauna, which can adapt to climate change and ensure that the ecosystem services they provide and the cultural, social, environmental and economic values that they support are responsive to future change.
The Centre will provide a base for the team and researchers, as well as a central point to host community discussions and forums, education events for all ages and provide an immersive experience through virtual and augmented reality to deepen connections with the local environment to create and share knowledge. At the launch, University of South Australia Professor of Geology and Geochemistry Tom Raimondo showcased the Centre’s immersive, augmented reality experience which uses glass beads that can be moved around to recreate landscapes onto which a light projector beams down simulated imagery of different environmental scenarios. The immersive experience will be further developed over the coming months, providing a unique and exciting communication tool for the region.
Media contact
Dr Tiffany Nay, Communications and Engagement Coordinator, CLLMM Research Centre
Phone: 0467 242 900 | Email: tiffany.nay@goyderinstitute.org | www.cllmmresearchcentre.org
