Big Beetle Summer
From Plastic Waste to Public Art
Collect, Discover, Make, Count!
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Collect - Sustainability
We need your HDPE plastics! Your donation will help us make the Christmas Beetles. Drop them off at one of our collection points throughout August.
The donated plastic will then be recycled and transformed into the giant Christmas Beetles by Defy Design at their warehouse in Sydney.
By contributing your recycled plastics, you become part of the project’s story.
Drop-off points include:
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North Sydney Community Centre
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North Sydney Council Customer Service Centre
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Discover — Public Artwork
From December to February, 10 giant Christmas Beetles will be hidden throughout Ted Mack Civic Park on Cammeraygal Country, North Sydney.
Made from collected and recycled plastic, these colourful sculptures celebrate one of Australia's most iconic native insects.
Follow the trail to find all 10 beetles and discover how you can contribute to the annual Christmas Beetle Count with Invertebrates Australia.
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Make — Beetle Hub Workshops
The Beetle Hub is a pop-up activation running throughout summer, kicking off with a launch event featuring a hands-on workshop and giveaways.
Join one of our free workshops to explore the world of Christmas Beetles and discover simple ways you can help protect these iconic native insects.
Workshops feature:
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Artist Amy Claire Mills
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Wiradjuri artist Bria McCarthy
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Christmas Beetle scientist Tanya Latty
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Sustainability champions Defy Design
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Count! — iNaturalist
And now for the juicy part! Become a citizen scientist by downloading the iNaturalist app - a place where everyday people help official researches by logging their findings. Its as simple as this:
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Download the iNaturalist app
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Find a bug!
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Take photos of the critter - ideally front, back, top and bottom.
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Upload your images to the app.
Then, the iNaturalist scientific community will come alive and identify your bug, helping thousands of scientists complete their work.
Why Christmas Beetles?
For many of us, Christmas Beetles are an iconic symbol of summer, connected to memories of childhood, long afternoons outdoors, and the magic of finding these tiny shimmering insects.
Christmas Beetles get their name because they often appear around December and January, arriving just in time for the festive season. Their bright iridescent colours and sparkling exoskeletons make them one of Australia’s most loved native insects. But year after year, Christmas Beetles are becoming harder to find. As our cities grow and natural habitats disappear. To help protect Christmas Beetles, we first need to understand where they live and how their populations are changing. By joining Invertebrates Australia's Christmas Beetle Count, you can help researchers gather the data needed to support their conservation.
Big Beetle Summer celebrates the joy of noticing, collecting, counting and exploring. Through curiosity and collaboration, we can uncover where the beetles are hiding and help protect them for the future.
From plastic waste to public art
The Christmas Beetles start with your recycled plastics. Throughout August, we need the community’s help to collect 100kg of plastic, which Defy Design will transform into giant Christmas Beetle sculptures for Ted Mack Civic Park.
Defy Design specialises in turning plastic destined for landfill into new products through innovative, closed-loop design. Once the installation is complete, the beetles can be recycled again, continuing their journey beyond the project.
Help create the Christmas Beetles!
What plastics do we need?
We need RIGID High Density Polyethylene plastics - HDPE (2). Below are some examples to help guide you.
You can check the recycling symbol on the bottom of your plastic item to see if it’s suitable. Unfortunately, items without a recycling code cannot be accepted. Some bottle lids can be collected and donated. Please check the code, as some are HDPE (2) and others are PP (5).
How to donate?
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Remove any labels or stickers.
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Wash your plastics in a simple soapy wash.
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Dry your items completely.
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Bring your plastics to one of our collection points and look for the special Christmas Beetle bins.
Drop-off locations include:
Please check each location’s opening hours before dropping off your items.
Photo by: Hilary Wardhaugh courtesy of Canberra Contemporary
About the artist
Hi, I’m Amy Claire Mills, the artist behind Big Beetle Summer.
I’m a textile and installation artist, space maker, and creative producer based in Gadigal/Sydney. I love creating colourful, immersive worlds that invite people to explore, connect, and become part of the artwork.
As a Neurodivergent and Disabled artist, my practice explores themes of advocacy, identity, and Disability Culture. Through collaborative and community-led projects, I create spaces that platform and amplify Disabled, Deaf and Neurodivergent artists.
My work often takes the form of large-scale installations, workshops, and playful experiences that celebrate creativity, connection, and access. Inviting audiences not just to view art, but to step inside, interact, and help bring it to life.
Join the Christmas Beetle Count this December!
Invertebrates Australia
In 2022, Tanya Latty and Invertebrates Australia launched the Christmas Beetle Count to gather much-needed data about where Christmas Beetles are found and how their populations are changing.
Every sighting helps researchers build a better understanding of these iconic Australian insects. Whether you spot a Christmas Beetle or another beetle species, your observations are valuable, even if you're not sure exactly what you've found.
To help you get involved, Invertebrates Australia has created a range of easy-to-follow resources, including step-by-step guides and videos that explain how to identify, record and submit your sightings.
Getting started is easy:
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Download the iNaturalist app
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Find a bug!
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Take photos of the critter - ideally front, back, top and bottom.
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Upload your images to the app.
Whether you’re new to beetle spotting or a future entomologist, these resources make it easy to get involved and contribute to the research.
Big Beetle Summer acknowledges the Cammeraygal People as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this project takes place. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and recognise their enduring connection to Country. We honour the knowledge, care and stewardship of the lands, waterways, plants, animals and insects that First Nations peoples have nurtured since time immemorial. Always was, always will be.
Project Commission
Big Beetle Summer has been commissioned by North Sydney Council.
We thank North Sydney Council for supporting this community-led project celebrating creativity, sustainability and the conservation of Australia's iconic Christmas Beetles.
Big Beetle Summer has also been supported by the North Sydney Community Centre.
Contact Us
Keep up to date with Big Beetle Summer by following us on Instagram. Have a question? We'd love to hear from you.
Get in touch via email: christmasbeetlesarecoming@gmail.com
