Field Notes began with a simple habit: paying attention.
How it started
I got into science engagement when I had no roadmap or template to follow. Paying attention was not optional. It was a necessity. It was how I learnt. I observed how people approached their work, how projects came together, how audiences reacted, how collaborations unfolded, and how seemingly small details made the biggest difference.
I didn’t realise it then, but I had developed my own way of learning through observation. Over the years, those observations have accumulated as I have continued to do the work.
Field Notes is a home for those observations.
This is not a space for reviews or ratings. Rather, it is a collection of reflections, questions and thoughts about what each experience made me notice.
It is an invitation to slow down, notice what is often overlooked and ask better questions. A place reveals a story. A project leaves an impression. Something we read sparks insight. A conversation offers a different perspective. A challenge becomes a breakthrough.
Welcome to my field notes.
So what is a field note?
Latest field note
A field note is a reflection written through the lens of a science engagement practitioner.
Not every field note is about science. It can be an entry from a visit to a museum, science centre, community space or laboratory. It can also come from a project I’ve worked on, a conversation I’ve had, a journal article or report I’ve read, a podcast I’ve listened to, a film I’ve watched or an experience that has stayed with me.
What connects them is the perspective I bring to them. Whether I am reflecting on a place, a project, a written piece or a conversation, I often return to questions about engagement, collaboration, creativity, learning and public participation.
Sometimes it is an approach that sparks an idea. Sometimes it’s a challenge that makes me stop and think. Sometimes it is a question that refuses to leave. Sometimes it’s something someone said that stays with me or simply a small detail that changes how I see my own work.
Field Notes is where I make sense of those moments and document them. I hope that in sharing these personal reflections, they might give you something to think about, prompt you to see your own work differently or simply inspire you.
Where the notes live
From projects and collaborations to what I notice while doing the work.
Looking closely at museums, science centres, exhibitions and other spaces.
Observations from conferences, festivals, workshops and other gatherings.
Reflections prompted by books, articles, blogs, reports and other written works.
Ideas and questions that emerge from podcasts, conversations, radio pieces and other things I listen to.
What films, videos and other visual stories leave me thinking about.
One small Favour