Discover the small, wise creatures and plants that share your Country.
This activity invites students to listen with care and write with wonder about the small, wise lives that share their Country, building respect and connection through poetry.
Listen
Country is alive with many beings — from tiny bugs to soaring birds and ancient plants. These living things hold stories, knowledge, and wisdom about survival and connection.
Find a quiet outdoor spot or look closely at a garden, park, or bushland.
Listen carefully to the small sounds around you — insects buzzing, birds calling, leaves rustling.
Notice what you see moving slowly or hidden beneath leaves and branches.
Reflect
Think about the living things that share your place:
Little Nations: Bugs and Animals
- What tiny creatures live near you — ants, spiders, lizards, possums?
- What do they notice in the world that humans often miss?
- Imagine their life and perspective.
Sky Kin: Birds
- What birds sing or call where you live?
- When do they appear — morning, evening, or all day?
- What might their songs tell us about family, journeys, or survival?
Green Wisdom: Bushes and Plants
- What native plants grow near you, including underwater plants?
- Which plants survive heat, bloom after fire, or keep seeds waiting underground?
- What stories or wisdom might they hold about resilience and memory?
Create
Choose one or more prompts to write a poem that listens deeply to the living things around you:
Little Nations: Bugs and Animals
Pick one small creature and write a poem from its point of view.
- What does it see, hear, or feel?
- How does it experience your place differently from humans?
- What secrets might it share if it could speak?
Sky Kin: Birds
Write a poem shaped by birdsong.
- Try to make your poem sound and feel like the birds’ calls.
- What lessons about family, migration, or survival can the birds teach you?
- Use rhythm, repetition, or onomatopoeia to capture the song.
Green Wisdom: Bushes and Plants
Write a poem that honours plants as keepers of knowledge.
- Describe what they survive and remember.
- How do they continue quietly, even when no one watches?
- Use imagery of colour, texture, and growth.
Share
- Share your poem with family, friends, or classmates.
- Listen carefully to others’ poems and notice what new perspectives you hear about the living world.
- Reflect together on how these small beings connect us to Country and each other.
- Use Cycle Thinking: Share, listen, reflect — then create again!
Tips for Teachers and Families
- Encourage students to spend time observing small creatures and plants closely, using magnifying glasses if possible.
- Support creative expression through poetry, drawing, or movement inspired by bugs, birds, and plants.
- Help younger learners by focusing on sensory descriptions (sounds, colours, textures).
- Create a respectful space for sharing and listening to different voices and perspectives.
- Link the activity to Indigenous ecological knowledge and cultural respect where appropriate.
- Use Cycle Thinking to deepen learning: encourage students to share, listen, reflect, and then create again.