New Shoots celebrates and cultivates poems inspired by plants and place to deepen cultural connections with nature

In 2018, Red Room Poetry, in collaboration with Cairns Tropical Writers Festival and Australian Poetry brought New Shoots to Cairns Botanic Gardens.

Poet Sarah Holland-Batt led a New Shoots masterclass and delivered new commissioned poems inspired by Cairns Botanical Gardens.

As part of Cairns Tropical Writers Festival, members of the public were invited to join Sarah Holland-Batt and the Friends of the Cairns Botanic Gardens team for a walking tour and poetry readings inspired by the local tropical biodiversity.

The full-day workshop, situated in the tropical grounds of the Cairns Botanic Gardens, guided participants to write poetry inspired by plants, flowers, gardens, and the environment, paying particular attention to the sensory and tactile qualities of poetry.