Macro Muster
Australia’s biggest waterbug citizen science event.
Twice a year, community members, young people and scientists come together to discover what lives beneath the surface of our rivers
and collect real scientific data to help protect them.
MACRO MUSTER 11
FRI 30 OCT
4.15PM - 7.30PM
BELLINGEN SHOWGROUND
FREE EVENT | ALL AGES | FREE PIZZA + SUSHI
REGISTER
Register for Macro Muster 11 below:
Step 1 : Read the Volunteer Agreement
Protect our rivers. Discover amazing waterbugs. Build curiosity in STEM. Connect with your community.
Citizen science powered by community
Macro Muster brings scientists, community members, families and young people together to monitor the health of the Bellinger, Kalang and Nambucca catchments.
Twice a year, volunteers collect waterbug samples from sites across our rivers. At the Muster, the community works alongside experienced Bug Masters and scientists to sort, identify and count what we find.
Why waterbugs? Different species respond differently to changes in water quality, which means the type and quantity of waterbugs living in a river can tell us a great deal about its health.
The results become part of an ongoing dataset that helps us understand changes in our rivers and informs their protection into the future.
The program also supports the recovery of the Critically Endangered Bellinger River Snapping Turtle and began at the request of turtle recovery scientists.
About Macro Muster 11
12
river sites
35
collectors
100
testers
and counting!
More than a citizen science event
Macro Muster does more than collect environmental data.
It creates opportunities for regional people to learn from scientists, build practical STEM skills, meet others who care about their local environment and contribute meaningfully to the future of their rivers.
100%
felt more connected to their community
Macro Musters 4, 5 & 6
100%
gained new knowledge and skills to help protect the river
Macro Musters 5 & 6
96%
said the experience made them feel more connected to the rivers
Macro Muster 7
Why STEM?
The Macro Muster makes STEM real, local and hands-on.
Young people don’t just hear about science, they do it.
This matters in regional communities.
The Macro Muster is part of the suite of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) programs that OzGREEN delivers to help inspire the next generation of scientists, problem-solvers and environmental stewards needed to care for the planet into the future.
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Regional people are underrepresented in STEM and have fewer opportunities to access STEM experiences or meet STEM professionals.
Creating these opportunities locally helps regional people see that STEM is relevant to their lives, their community and the places they care about.
STEM skills will also be increasingly important for the future. STEM occupations are predicted to grow at around twice as fast as non-STEM jobs (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2022) and the World Economic Forum (2016) identified STEM literacy as a measure of countries’ preparedness for the future (Timms et al., 2018).
By making STEM visible, practical and connected to place, Macro Muster helps build STEM identity in regional communities as well as curiosity, confidence and capability in STEM.
Macro Muster 11
Info Booklet for Participants
This booklet will continue to be updated right up until the event.
Macro Muster 11 Event Partners
Thank you to the partners making Macro Muster 11 possible.
This project has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust.
Watch our Macro Muster 5 video to learn more about the event :
Help power the next Macro Muster
Partner with one of Australia’s leading community citizen science programs.
The Macro Muster is free for the community because organisations, businesses and volunteers choose to stand behind it.
With the support of partners, we can bring regional communities and scientists together, engage more young people in hands-on STEM, monitor more of our waterways and continue building the long-term knowledge needed to protect our rivers.
Your organisation can help
Engage regional young people and families in hands-on STEM and citizen science
Equip and train community volunteers
Collect and report reliable river-health data
Connect scientists directly with the communities caring for these waterways
Grow the program's reach and impact across our region.
Why partner with the Macro Muster?
Your organisation becomes part of something highly visible, practical and genuinely community-led, bringing together river health, biodiversity, STEM, young people and community connection for regional communities.
Partnerships can include sponsorship, in-kind support, staff participation or longer-term program partnerships.
Interested in supporting the program?
We’d love to talk about a partnership that aligns with your organisation and the difference you want to make.
Macro Muster 11 Speakers
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Dr. Nakia Belmer
Scientist, Bellingen Riverwatch Volunteer
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Dr. Brian Hawkins
Scientist, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Saving our Species Program
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Dean Kelly
CEO, Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation
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Celeste Lymn
River and Biodiversity Officer, Bellingen Shire Council
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Keegan Noble
Environmental Project Officer, Nambucca Valley Council
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Sam Tate
Group Leader, Sustainable Environment and Waste, Bellingen Shire Council
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Chris Ormond
Scientist, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Saving our Species Program
Join Macro Muster 11
No science experience needed. Just bring your curiosity.
Whether you're eight or eighty, a waterbug beginner or an experienced citizen scientist, we’d love to have you join us at Macro Muster.
At The Count, you'll work alongside other community members and experienced Bug Masters to sort and identify waterbugs collected from our rivers.
You'll learn what these tiny creatures can tell us about river health, hear directly from people working to protect our waterways and finish the evening by sharing food with the community.
Registrations for testing volunteers close when we hit 110 registrations or on 25/10/26, whichever comes first.
Our collecting volunteers hold an important role.
Become a collecting volunteer.
Before each Muster, collecting volunteers head out to sampling sites across the Bellinger, Kalang and Nambucca catchments to collect the waterbugs that will be identified at The Count.
Never done it before?
That's okay.
We provide the waders, nets and equipment and new collecting volunteers are paired with experienced volunteers.
Our collectors tell us this is one of the best parts of the Macro Muster experience.
See the sites we test below.
Collecting volunteer registrations close 9 October 2026.
The people behind the Muster
A big thank you to our Macro Muster volunteers
Behind every Muster is an extraordinary group of people who collect samples, identify waterbugs, verify results, mentor new participants, set up equipment, share knowledge, welcome families and pack everything away again at the end of the night.
Many return Muster after Muster, building an incredible store of local knowledge and helping new volunteers become confident citizen scientists.
We couldn't do this without you.
Thank you.
Why waterbugs?
Freshwater macroinvertebrates, or waterbugs, are small animals without backbones that live in freshwater and are visible to the naked eye or with a hand magnifier.
They include the juvenile stages of insects such as dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies and caddisflies, as well as water beetles and many other fascinating creatures.
Different waterbugs have different levels of sensitivity to pollution and changes in water quality. By looking at the types and numbers we find, scientists and citizen scientists can build a picture of the health of a waterway.
Little bug. Big story.
The Macro Muster was developed in response to a need identified by scientists supporting the recovery of the Critically Endangered Bellinger River Snapping Turtle.
“The ongoing recovery of the Bellinger River Snapping Turtle in the Bellinger Catchment is linked directly to the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of the catchment’s rivers. Not only are aquatic macroinvertebrates an important component of the Bellinger River Snapping Turtle diet, the macroinvertebrate communities are sensitive to changes in water quality and will, therefore, be an important indicator of river health into the future.”
- Shane Ruming, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and its Saving our Species Program
See what we’re finding
Every Muster adds another piece to the understanding of these rivers.
Explore results from previous Macro Musters and see what the waterbugs are telling us.
Questions?
Contact Amy with any questions about the Macro Muster.
