Attention: Students, Teachers, Parents and Writers …
We are eager to receive your rhyming poems (up to 4 verses) – or Haiku – by the end of July via an adult email address. Send to feedback@sciencerhymes.com.au to be part of the FLORA-VERSE (an online anthology celebrating #scienceweek2026).
This poetry collection is already growing. There are poems about:
- Seed DNA
- invasive weeds
- an endangered wattle
- amazing grass trees
Anything plant-related that includes a touch of science, be it biology, chemistry or other STEM-related perspective, is welcome. From your backyard pumpkin patch and gardening tips to your favourite nature walk locations and the arid bush.
We particularly want to publishing poems about vegetation found in Australia. From seeds to forests; from flowers to bees, this collection will include your loves, thoughts and discoveries about plants and how they shape environments for so many other living things.
The use of AI to help create poems is permitted, but conditions apply. These include acknowledging the AI (such as ChatGPT) with the (human) author’s name; checking AI information for science errors before submitting; and answering 4 simple questions about your experience with using AI for this poem.
- Delighted or disappointed with what AI came up with? Give it a score out of ten.
- Did you edit the AI’s response?
- Was your prompt simple or specific?
- Will you do it again next year?
We still totally appreciate your “human-made” poems for their artistic and literacy values! We trust authors using AI will try to improve the creations they receive through editing and carefully checking facts.
Science Week runs from 15th to 23rd August. Our deadline for receiving poems is currently Friday 31st July.
Find out more at:
- https://www.sciencerhymes.com.au/national-science-week where you can download the SEEDS TO SCENERY pdf for more details and poem examples.
- and check out National Science Week Events & Competitions for more activities.
And finally, here’s a human-made poem example.
Sturdy Mulga Trees by Celia Berrell
Stretching up towards the skies
or weeping boughs drawn by their sides,
iconic mulga, drab and droll,
still represent Australia’s soul.
In sunburnt soils on arid lands,
with long strong roots, the mulga stands.
High heat; cold nights are mulga’s fate.
In drought these trees can hibernate.
Their rugged bark with groovy tracks
can channel drips down trunks of black.
Instead of leaves, they’ve phyllodes.
Flattened stems that clatter breeze.
Mulga blossoms, tassled gold,
are quick to let sweet-scents unfold.
Flowering not for Spring, but rain.
Should water kiss their harsh terrain.
First published in POINTS OF INTERSECTION SCIENCE AND POETRY (page 35), held in the Scottish Poetry Library.