During SIBS 2020, a surprise hailstorm hit Canberra with golf ball–sized hail. Instead of running for cover, we grabbed our vials! Soon we were sampling hailstones to analyse how isotope ratios vary from surface to core — pure scientific curiosity in action!
Our Original SIBS Logo
Our very first SIBS logo, designed for the 2013 workshop in Camden – a symbol of more than a decade of passion and dedication to sharing the science and techniques of stable isotopes with students and professionals worldwide.
The SIBS workshop is a great setting to learn about isotopes — whether you're a first year PhD candidate or a seasoned post-doc. You learn new methods, the subtlety of this complex and elegant discipline, and you make excellent connections with future colleagues and friends.
by Nathan English, Instructor
SIBS was such an important learning experience! Building a background in isotopes science is something I have wanted and needed for my career, but it's not something that's widely taught in Ecology; there just aren't any courses in most undergraduate or Master's degrees. What makes SIBS so unique is having over a week where everyone - attendees, instructors, organizers - are entirely focused on isotopes, so you can make those big knowledge gains and come up with new ideas in such a short time. As an added bonus, the people are all amazing and are building such a robust professional community!
by Lauren Hitt, Attendee — SIBS 2026 Camden
I’m really glad I attended the SIBS 2026 workshop during my first year of PhD. The knowledge and skills I gained will be extremely useful for my research. The workshop felt like an intensive module on isotopes, offering a wealth of information. It was also a fantastic networking opportunity, allowing me to connect with others working on similar research topics. The food and accommodation were well managed, making the experience even more enjoyable. Overall, I think it was an excellent event—I truly loved it.