The other day I went for a lovely walk, I went for a bit of an explore in blackburn along the blacks walk. There are lots of beautiful trees, flowers and shrubs and its hard to know what they each are. So I’ve been using an app called ‘Seek’ by iNaturalist. It uses augmented reality to identify plants, it will even give you the species.

The app is wonderful and really gives you a lot of insight to what’s in your own backyard. I was on the lookout for natives to plant in the backyard, so after surveying the local neighbourhood I have more of an idea what to get.

Mother Earth - by Nola Gregory
I belong to this land It runs through my veins 
It’s the earth in my bones It’s the dry dusty plains 
It’s the whispering wind 
As she blows through the sand It’s the sparkling salt water 
That trickles through my hands 
It’s the feeling I get When I return to my place 
It’s deep down inside me It’s my Mother Earth space.
 I belong to this Country I’ve walked in her dust 
I have weathered her storms 
I have learned from her past 
It is respect for my Mother It meanders through my mind 
It clings to my spirit 
To my soul it does bind 
It’s that feeling I get 
When I walk in this place
 It’s deep down inside me 
It’s my Mother Earth space

Source: Mother Earth - Creative Spirits, retrieved from https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/arts/poems/mother-earth