Casino Wake Up Time member, Kylie Caldwell, shares three poems which she has written about native plants and the diverse waterways which sustain them on Bundjalung country in the Northern Rivers.

Nanna You Remember! is a poem about wetlands, and the animals and plants within these wetlands. It’s a place where the weaving fibre, buckie rush, is collected. Kylie shares that wetlands are one of the most valuable ecosystems which act as reservoirs to collect water during big rains, reducing the effects of flooding. They protect coastal areas from storm surges by securing fragile soil and sand, and purify water by acting as a filter. Kylie dedicates this poem to her ancestors, who held a wealth of knowledge about these ecosystems.

Picking Again is a poem about Casino Wake Up Time collecting rushes and other plants for weaving.

A Survivor is a poem about lomandra, a plant that plays a significant role in supporting the banks of rivers and creeks and keeping these waters healthy and strong.