Home as Habitat: Nature Poems That Explore the Ecosystems in Our Own Backyards

Rachael Mead

We often think about nature as something that exists ‘out there’ or in ‘the wild’. But nature is all around us, especially for those lucky enough to live in the Adelaide Hills.

In this workshop, we’ll look at local flora and fauna and how even our homes and backyards function as part of an ecosystem. Combining ecology and our observations of life in the hills, we’ll craft nature poems that intertwine the human and nonworlds.

Using writing exercises and poetry prompts, this workshop will delve into how the biological inhabitants of our local landscapes interact with each other and let what we learn about our unique ecology infuse and deepen our poetry.