Turning a New Leaf
Poem Forest turns a new leaf as it welcomes co-producers Nicole Smede and Luke Patterson in 2025.
Now entering its fifth year, Poem Forest is thrilled to announce that Nicole Smede and Luke Patterson have been appointed as new co-producers in 2025. As we turn the page in this journey, we also want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work of Lorin Reid and Natalie Bühler, 2024 Poem Forest co-producers. Now, as they pass the baton, we are excited to watch Poem Forest grow under new guidance. We know that Nicole and Luke will continue to nurture the foundations that Lorin and Natalie laid.
This week, we spoke with Nicole and Luke about the upcoming Poem Forest prize — from their very first encounters with the project, to the exciting new developments on the horizon.
"We are honoured to be the custodians of Poem Forest moving forward and have a few exciting developments in the works."
"In the years that I was able to tend to this project, I've encountered so many incredible young people eager to make a difference. The POEM FOREST, both the physical trees and the poems, have grown into a testament to the power of many small acts of hope coming together."
Nicole Smede at the Poem Forest winners announcement in Berkely, Wollongong.
"My first engagement with Red Room Poetry was through a Poem Forest commission... I had no clue that a few years down the track I’d be joining the team. In a roundabout way, Poem Forest is a significant part of my own poetic and professional development. That’s meaningful to me. And on this point, Poem Forest connects kids with contemporary poets. I see opportunities like this as meaning-making exercises where students are offered poetic perspectives that honour but also move beyond worn nationalist tropes of the old bush poets."
Luke Patterson (middle) at the 2024 Poem Forest tree planting workshop.
A Forest of Poems
Poem Forest is a nationwide youth poetry prize that plants a tree for every poem received, nourishing Australia’s literary and environmental tapestry. Yet, Poem Forest is more than a competition: it’s a movement that unites the poetic prowess of young minds with environmental stewardship.
“Poem Forest encourages people to look at ways poetry can be a vehicle — for storytelling, personal expression, reflection, activism and calls to action,” writes Nicole Smede.
“The competition is secondary for me, with the heart of Poem Forest beating for a remembrance of Country, our connection to Country and the need for us to be a voice and advocate for her and our collective future.”
Today, the climate crisis is affecting the mental health of young people around the globe. A 2023 YouGov survey found that more than three in four young Australians are concerned about climate change. At the same time, feeling guilty about not taking enough climate action is believed to have a negative impact on mental health for more than 70 percent of young Australians.
Amidst this backdrop, Poem Forest acts as a breath of fresh air – empowering individual young Australians to use their words to take collective climate action and help heal critically endangered habitats. And by centring the words of young people, Poem Forest demands they be heard.
"Poem Forest is beautifully multilayered. In the tangible sense the program is creating a forest (archive) of eco poetry, in addition to taking climate action through planting micro forests in exchange of poems. But equally as important is the intangible and the environmental movement that this program has created and continues to fuel within our young people, as they deepen their relationship and love of Country through listening, learning and responding. The poems created are not just personal reflections and observations, but rather a cry for help on behalf of our earth from our future leaders – those that currently feel powerless and will inevitably inherit the decisions of the past and of today. These poems have a powerful ripple effect, reminding us all of our connection to and place in the world, and they challenge us to think about our impact and actions. We have much to learn from younger generations. They are masters of revealing simplicity and truth within complexity and reminding us of what is truly important."
In 2025, Poem Forest will announce several new developments to the prize – including a new prize category, the introduction of a yearly theme, and more online workshops (all free, of course).
Full details to be announced on Tuesday, 22 April.
Roots of the (Poem) Forest
In 2021, the very first seedling was planted. Now, Poem Forest is home to over 22,500 trees. It’s a real, tangible forest. It’s a forest you can walk through, perhaps even get lost in. It’s home to all kinds of creatures — be they possums or native birds.
Much of this was made possible as a result of those who helped grow the prize over the past few years. As co-producers in 2024, Lorin Reid and Natalie Bühler have been at the core of Poem Forest, and their achievements have been nothing short of extraordinary.
We spoke with Lorin and Natalie to find out what the prize means to them.
"What I love most about Poem Forest is the way it prompts young people to reflect on and grow their personal connections with nature," said Lorin. "The poems that stand out to me over the years capture really specific moments or imaginings that only a closeness and care for nature can inspire"
For Natalie, Poem Forest can be understood through the project's tagline: " 'Write a poem, plant a tree' may at times sound simple, but it contains all these multitudes – POEM FOREST is a way for young people to have a voice, to discover the power of words, and to (re)connect to the natural world. More than that, it also invites young people to learn about care for Country from Elders and poets, and participate in storytelling and discovery."
Looking back on their time as a co-producers, Lorin and Natalie have shared some of her stand out poems. Explore her chosen poems below.
Lorin and Natalie's stand out poems
"I have truly loved my time tending to this project – from the joy of creating writing exercises and commissioning poems to working with brilliant interns and reading thousands of poems, the POEM FOREST is as nourishing as it is hard work. If I had to pick stand-out moments, it's the time on Country delivering school workshops with Elders and poets that I think about the most often. Aunty Shas Robinson gave the most beautiful Welcome at last year's in-person Winners Announcement Ceremony on Dharawal and Wodi Wodi Country and the generosity of her words touched me deeply – we really are witnessing a new generation blossoming into hope. There were many more moments like this, as well as moments of such deep insight delivered by young people, moments of laughter and moments of hope that have punctuated the years I have spent with POEM FOREST."
"Stand-out moments from POEM FOREST history include: meeting our winning youth poets in person and hearing them read their poems and plant their own trees in the FOREST during our winners announcement events, republishing Highly Commended Upper Secondary poet Miranda GG's poem 'Low Tide' for the Red Room Poetry anthology A Line in the Sand, the year our Upper Primary Winner Adele L read her poem 'Remember' live on ABC's Radio National, when a past winner got in touch asking us to be a reference for his school captain application, when my co-producer Natalie wrote a found poem based on ideas and phrases from her favourite POEM FOREST entries and the annual but nevertheless momentous moment of hitting publish on the final poem received after entries close, usually at 3am after editing, publishing and longlisting thousands of incredible youth nature poems."
