National Threatened Species Day, 7 September, is a day that shines a light on Australian native flora and fauna species currently facing extinction. To acknowledge this important day, Wyndham City Council is inviting local students to get creative and help raise awareness about the impact litter has on local native wildlife and encourage the community to take action.
Are you a Wyndham School with a creative group of primary aged students (Grade Prep - Grade 6)? Join our Student Litter Sculpture Competition for the chance to win great prizes for your school!
Student groups are invited to create and submit a sculpture made entirely from litter, found objects, or repurposed materials such as packaging, acknowledging the competition theme: “The impacts of litter pollution on local threatened species”
Sculptures will be open for public viewing from 28 August to 7 September 2026 as part of a pop-up Student Sculpture Gallery at the Hoppers Crossing (Plaza) Library. The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the impact litter has on our local threatened species.
Prizes
1st Prize: 1 x 1 hour interactive plastic recycling incursion by Rethink Recycling for up to max 28 students. Valued at $740 (see T’s and C’s for more information)
2nd Prize: 1 x 1 hour interactive biodiversity incursion with Nature West. For up to 50 students (Valued at $220)
3rd Prize: choice of a Tumbleweed Compost Bin, valued at $110 or a Tumbleweed Can-O-Worms, valued at $154 + Optional worm farm incursion to help set up your system with Council’s Waste and Litter Education Officers
Guidelines
The Sculpture
The sculpture can be as creative and colourful as you like! Let your imagination grow wild and get up-cycling!
- Must be made using litter, found items or repurposed materials such as used packaging. Think bottle tops, plastic bottles, bags and containers, cartons, used fishing line, balloons, straws, single-use cutlery or utensils, coffee cups, or anything else found, collected or repurposed before it is discarded and wasted!
- Must include:
- Sculpture Title
- Description: A small paragraph about your sculpture’s relevance to the theme “The impacts of litter pollution on local threatened species” (maximum 120 words)
- A threatened species from the local fauna threaten species list
- Maximum size of 60 cm tall x 60 cm wide
- Must not have any sharp edges
- Must be able to stand alone (not hanging)
Please note: Participating primary schools are responsible for delivery of artwork to the Hoppers Crossing (Plaza) Library on Friday 28 August 2026 between 9:30am - 6pm and collect artwork on Monday 7 September 2026 between 9:30am – 8pm.
Judging Criteria
1. Creativity and Originality
- The art piece should demonstrate originality in concept and design.
- Creativity and innovative use of waste materials are highly encouraged.
- The art should be well-constructed, durable, and show attention to detail.
- The skill level demonstrated by the students will be taken into consideration.
2. Relevance to Theme
- The sculpture should contain at least one threatened species from the local fauna threated species list and show how litter can impact that species
- The piece should align with the overall theme of “The impacts of litter pollution on our local threatened species”
- The title and description should clearly explain the sculpture and it’s relevance to the competition theme.
3. Environmental Impact
- The sculpture should reflect an awareness of the impacts of littering or dumping in our environment.
- The litter sculpture should be a masterpiece made from waste or litter materials that would have otherwise ended up in landfill or the recycling bin (no ‘new’ items allowed).
Wyndham Threatened Species
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Conservation Status |
Mammals | ||
| Eastern Barred Bandicoot | Perameles gunnii | Endangered |
| Eastern Bent-winged Bat | Miniopterus orianae oceanensis | Critically Endangered |
| Fat-tailed Dunnart | Sminthopsis crassicaudata | Vulnerable |
| Grey-headed Flying-fox | Pteropus poliocephalus | Vulnerable |
| Southern Brown Bandicoot | Isoodon obesulus obesulus | Endangered |
| Platypus | Ornithorhynchus anatinus | Vulnerable (Locally) |
Invertebrates | ||
| Golden Sun Moth | Synemon plana | Vulnerable |
| Yellow Sedge-skipper Butterfly | Hesperilla flavescens flavescens | Endangered |
| Golden Sun Moth | Synemon plana | Vulnerable |
Reptiles & Amphibians | ||
| Brown Toadlet | Pseudophryne bibronii | Endangered |
| Grassland Earless Dragon | Tympanocryptis pinguicolla | Critically Endangered |
| Growling Grass Frog | Litoria raniformis | Vulnerable |
| Murray River Turtle | Emydura macquarii | Critically Endangered |
| Striped Legless Lizard | Delma impar | Endangered |
| Tussock Skink | Pseudemoia pagenstecheri | Endangered |
Birds | ||
| Australasian Bittern | Botaurus poiciloptilus | Critically Endangered |
| Australian Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | Endangered |
| Australian Painted Snipe | Rostratula benghalensis | Critically Endangered |
| Australasian Shoveler | Anas rhynchotis | Vulnerable |
| Barking Owl | Ninox connivens | Critically Endangered |
| Black Falcon | Falco subniger | Critically Endangered |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | Critically Endangered |
| Blue-billed Duck | Oxyura australis | Vulnerable |
| Brolga | Grus rubicunda | Endangered |
| Bush Stone-curlew | Burhinus grallariu | Critically Endangered |
| Caspian Tern | Sterna caspia | Vulnerable |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | Vulnerable |
| Diamond Dove | Geopelia cuneata | Vulnerable |
| Diamond Firetail | Stagonopleura guttata | Vulnerable |
| Eastern Curlew | Numenius madagascariensis | Critically Endangered |
| Eastern Great Egret | Ardea modesta | Vulnerable |
| Elegant Parrot | Neophema elegans | Vulnerable |
| Fairy Tern | Sterna nereis | Critically Endangered |
| Freckled Duck | Stictonetta naevosa | Endangered |
| Gang-gang Cockatoo | Callocephalon fimbriatum | Endangered |
| Great Knot | Calidris tenuirostris | Critically Endangered |
| Greater Sand Plover | Charadrius leschenaultii | Vulnerable |
| Grey Goshawk | Accipiter novaehollandiae | Endangered |
| Grey-crowned Babbler | Pomatostomus temporalis | Vulnerable |
| Hardhead | Aythya australis | Vulnerable |
| Hooded Plover | Thinornis rubricollis | Vulnerable |
| Hooded Robin | Melanodryas cucullata | Vulnerable |
| Lewin's Rail | Rallus pectoralis | Vulnerable |
| Little Eagle | Hieraaetus morphnoides | Vulnerable |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta nigripes | Endangered |
| Magpie Goose | Anseranas semipalmata | Vulnerable |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | Endangered |
| Masked Owl | Tyto novaehollandiae | Critically Endangered |
| Musk Duck | Biziura lobata | Vulnerable |
| Orange-bellied Parrot | Neophema chrysogaster | Critically Endangered |
| Painted Honeyeater | Grantiella picta | Vulnerable |
| Plains-wanderer | Pedionomus torquatus | Critically Endangered |
| Plumed Egret | Ardea intermedia plumifera | Critically Endangered |
| Regent Honeyeater | Xanthomyza phrygia | Critically Endangered |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Endangered |
| Superb Parrot | Polytelis swainsonii | Endangered |
| Swift Parrot | Lathamus discolor | Critically Endangered |
| White-bellied Sea-Eagle | Haliaeetus leucogaster | Endangered |
For a full list of Australia’s threatened species visit Threatened Fauna, and Threatened Flora.
View some of the previous years sculptures
Please contact wastewise@wyndham.vic.gov.au if you have any questions or would like to discuss your schools sculpture idea.
Entry Form
Entries close: Monday 24 August 2026
Sculpture drop off: Litter sculpture can be dropped off at the Hoppers Crossing (Plaza) Library on Friday 28 August 2026 between 9:30am – 6 pm.