I work with a group of about 20 people in the South Eastern Australian Climate Initiative (SEACI) where try to figure out what factors control the weather, how these may have changed due to global warming, and how they might change in the future. Then we see if we can predict how these changes might impact availability of water for towns and cities, irrigating crops, farm animals etc.

I spend a lot of time reading work that my colleagues have done, and advising them on where to go from here. I also use the research findings they give me to advise people working for state and federal government what it might mean for water. They then change their policies to ensure that the environment and people will have enough water in the future.

When I was in Townsville, I used to get to go to the field and install monitorig gear or collect samples. I’ll attach some photos.

I’m very lucky however to get to go to a lot of international conferences. Last month I went to Canmore, in Alberta, Canada, just outside Banff National Park. It was beautiful!

I’d give it the a local school and ask them what they need to spend it on related to science as they know better than me what their needs are.