Dr Richard Stirzaker discusses the science behind turning water, sunlight and nutrients into food in your own back yard.

General Information

• About the talk
• About the author
• About the Discovery Science Writers Series

About the talk

There are few more fundamental issues facing humanity than how best to feed ourselves in an increasingly crowded world, and – in Australia especially – what that means for scarce water resources.

Dr Richard Stirzaker’s book Out of the Scientist’s Garden explores this subject, and in this discussion, Dr Stirzaker will talk about the challenges and excitement of building a sustainable working garden for your family.

‘For Australian households trying to save water, collect rainwater and use grey water on their gardens, and for anyone interested in food and how to grow it, rich insights about in Stirzaker’s distinctive blend of science, passion and practical, grounded experience…

‘This is an incredibly important book that deserves to become a classic of Australian agricultural and environmental literature. It should be read widely and carefully by policy makers, by scientists, and above all by citizens everywhere interested in food, water and the environment,’ says Mr Andrew Campbell from ABC Radio.

Read more about Out of the Scientist’s Garden: A Story of Water and Food

About the author

Dr Richard Stirzaker is Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Land and Water, whose work looks at irrigation, salinity, water use of farming systems and the ecological footprint of agriculture.

Read about the work of Dr Richard Stirzaker.

About the Discovery Science Writers Series

CSIRO Discovery presents a series that celebrates authors from the Canberra region who publish in the science arena. Our talks will focus on the science behind the publications as well as the writing process.

Our authors have all recently published, and where possible, copies of their books will be on sale at our events and our authors will sign copies for you.

The Discovery Science Writers Series is presented in association with the Australian Science Communicators ACT Chapter.

Read more about this event on CSIRO’s events listing.

Read more about CSIRO Discovery.