Biosphere in a bottle: researchers and distillers bring landscape to life | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

From perfect blue ocean to lush green rainforest, millions of people have seen the visual beauty of the Sunshine Coast Biosphere. Now, through a new collaboration between the University of the Sunshine Coast and Sunshine & Sons, people can experience it through taste, sound and story as well.

UniSC researchers have partnered with the local distillery to create a Sunshine Coast Biosphere Gin, designed as a multi sensory experience that connects people with the region’s UNESCO recognised Biosphere Reserve.

Senior Lecturer in Design and Creative Ecologies researcher Dr Leah Barclay said the project grew from a desire to find new ways to engage people beyond traditional brochures, reports and awareness campaigns.

“While those approaches have their place, we wanted to bring the biosphere to people’s senses. To let them taste it, hear it, feel it,” Dr Barclay said.

“We want to create a sensory connection between people, this incredible natural environment, and the sustainability values central to it.

“When you taste something that comes directly from this landscape, it creates a connection that's very different from reading about it.”

Developed using locally-sourced botanicals from within the biosphere, the gin reflects both the flavours and sustainability values of the region. It features elderflower and native black myrtle, and is produced on Kabi Kabi Country using 100 percent reclaimed spirit.

Sunshine & Sons founder and director Michael Conrad said the aim was to capture the character of the Sunshine Coast while embedding biosphere principles into the production process.

“It’s flavoured with black myrtle which the Kabi Kabi people called ‘Woombye’ – a word all Sunshine Coast locals will know – and elderflower which has become a fixture in the landscape here,” Mr Conrad said.

“It gives you a soft, floral gin with a subtle spice.”

The experience extends beyond taste. The bottle label features detailed illustrations by UniSC Master of Creative Arts student Kali Maunder, depicting local marine species inspired by the Sunshine Coast Marine BioBlitz held in August 2024.

“The individual drawings on the label were referenced directly from images collected locally by UniSC researchers and citizen scientists, and I tried to represent a diverse range of the wonderful beings that reside in our waters,” Kali said.

A QR code on the bottle links to an immersive underwater soundscape recorded by Dr Barclay using hydrophones along the biosphere coastline. The soundscape opens with a dawn chorus and the voice of Kabi Kabi songman Uncle Lyndon Davis, before moving through the sounds of whales, dolphins, fish and healthy reef ecosystems.

The project is now informing a toolkit to help other local producers embed biosphere values into their own products.

“This gin shows how creative, sensory experiences can connect people to place in meaningful and lasting ways,” Dr Barclay said.

“The idea of a biosphere is something people here are still growing to understand. They might know the term but not necessarily what it means for them, for their business, or for the way they connect with the natural environment around them.”