Connect and Learn - Miniature Lives: Identifying insects in your home and garden

Connect & Learn + Share Table

Miniature Lives: Identifying insects in your home and garden

presented by Michelle Gleeson, Bugs Ed

Monday 15 June 2026

6.30 pm - 8.30 pm

at Level 3 Meeting Rooms, Toowoomba City Library, 

Corner of Herries and Victoria Streets, Toowoomba, QLD 4350

or online via Zoom

You'll receive the Zoom link after you book.

This event is organised by Permaculture Toowoomba Inc.

Bookings are Essential

Please book so we have your contact details and know how many will be attending.

What We'll Do

6.30 pm - Learn - Miniature Lives: Identifying insects in your home and garden

Presented by Michelle Gleeson, Bugs Ed

You can’t avoid insects. They scurry past us in the kitchen, pop up in our gardens, or are presented to us in jars by inquisitive children.  Despite encountering them on a daily basis, most people don’t know an aphid from an antlion.  As keen gardeners, we encounter many different types of insects.  But just what is defoliating your gardenias, leaving strange lumps and bumps on your wattles, or making a meal out of your basil?  On the other hand, which beneficial insects do we want to encourage into our gardens to help pollinate our plants or wage war against pests?

What We'll Learn

• What is an insect and how does it differ from other minibeasts you find in your garden?

• What are the major groups or Orders of insects and how can you identify them?

• Which insects cause damage to our gardens and which ones are beneficial

• How we can discourage the pests and encourage the beneficials, without using chemicals?

• You’ll also see some amazing cases or preserved insects and arachnids from around the world and some live local insects.

About Michelle Gleeson

Michelle Gleeson (nee Larsen), is known to those around her as ‘the bug lady’ – no matter how she introduces herself!  She is an entomologist and the director and co–founder of Bugs Ed., an educational company that presents a range of hands–on insect workshops throughout Queensland.  She has also been an Adjunct Industry Fellow at The University of Queensland’s School of Biological Sciences, collaborating on biological science outreach programs in remote schools and working on various field research projects. 

Michelle’s obsession with insects started at an early age. A brief frisking by her parents would usually turn up an array of critters on her person (some live, some dead, some very squashed).  Michelle was around eight when she announced to her family her aspirations to be an entomologist when she grew up and this passion continued throughout her entire schooling, eventually leading her to university, where she completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Entomology and first-class Honours in Entomology 

Michelle’s job as an entomologist is incredibly diverse.  One day she might be taking her pet stick insects to visit a class of kindergarten students, the next she is teaching Year 11 biology students how to pin out and display an insect collection.  Her summers often involve research projects out in the bush, and she also regularly films insect–themed stories with children’s TV shows.  A skilled insect ‘wrangler’, she has worked on television commercials and film shoots, and has been lucky enough to work on set with one of her idols, Sir David Attenborough.

Additional info:

Michelle has published a book with CSIRO Publishing called Miniature Lives - identifying insects in your home and garden to teach everyday people how to identify insects they find around their homes or gardens. It will be available for purchase and the cost is $49.95. Cash payments only (or you can do a direct deposit on your phone and show me the screen).

7.45 pm – Connect – Light Supper (provided) and Share Table

A light supper will be served (including Gluten Free and Vegan options).

Please bring your own KeepCup or mug so we can reduce waste.

Sharing of produce on the Share Table opens after the presentation to allow plenty of time for everyone to place their donations, and then allow you to browse, connect and make your selections during supper.

Parking

Free off-street parking is available under the library (enter from Victoria Street).

Access

The venue has access for wheelchairs, walking frames, and strollers as needed. Everyone is welcome (including children with parental supervision).

We hope we see you there!

What to Bring

• KeepCup or similar for your drink at supper (we're trying to minimise waste) 

• Donations of surplus produce for the Share Table

Share Table

Do you have surplus?

We encourage you to bring your surplus produce, plants, seeds, books, craft supplies, and resources to share with others at our events.

Some ideas of what you could bring include – fruit, vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey, milk, jams, pickles, preserves, jars, ferments, starters, SCOBYs, seeds, plants, seedlings, cuttings, tubers, pots, tools, gardening magazines, permaculture books, recipes, patterns, manure, coffee grounds, compost additives, worms, mealworms, wool, fabric, craft supplies, soap, natural cleaning products, plastic alternatives, produce bags – the list is extensive.

Please bring whatever you can and then take home whatever you need within our culture of generosity and free sharing.

Cost

• Financial Members of Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. - Free

• First time visitors to a Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. event - $10.00

• Non-Members - $20.00

• Children attending with an Adult - Free (but please book so we know the total numbers)

Membership 2026

Annual Membership of Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. is due by 31 December each year. It's only $50 per person or $40 for a second or subsequent adult living in the same home.  

Financial Members can attend regular events and workshops during the year at no cost. 

You can pay your membership for 2026 at checkout when you book to attend this event.

Membership forms will be available at the event for anyone wishing to join, or available here for download at http://www.permaculturetoowoomba.com.au/membership/