The Season of Creation begins today, 1 September, the designated Catholic World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The 4 October feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology, marks the season\u2019s end. It is a time for Christians across the globe to unite in prayer, reflection and action for the care of our common home.<\/p>\n
In the southern hemisphere, the season coincides with spring. Already we see around us the golden wattles blooming as yellow daffodils emerge from the winter soil and birds carol in the ever-earlier dawn light. For all the sadness we might feel about the environmental crises we are facing, the Earth is our gift from God, and something to celebrate.<\/p>\n
\u2018All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents,\u2019 wrote Pope Francis in Laudato Si\u2019.<\/p>\n
This Season of Creation, here are five sources of inspiration\u2014books and poetry, photography, film and podcasts\u2014to help you reflect on creation and your place within it. <\/p>\n
Nature can awaken wonder, offer solace and renew our sense of perspective. Yet as we deepen our connection with the natural world, we are also confronted by the growing challenges facing our planet, from climate change to the loss of biodiversity.<\/p>\n
In the anthology, On This Ground: Best Australian Nature Writing, Australian writers explore our complex and evolving relationship with the natural world. Edited by Dave Witty, author of the acclaimed What the Trees See, and published in 2024, On This Ground is a contemporary examination of what history and Indigenous knowledge can tell us about the environment.<\/p>\n
A Eureka Street review<\/a> notes that \u2018Witty and the contributors pay close attention to the natural world \u2026 their attentiveness sows the seeds of hope in celebrating such a beautiful world and committing ourselves to its preservation.\u2019 <\/p>\n Poetry invokes the beauty of nature in ways other literature cannot. Here, the Catholic poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins<\/a> writes in what became his posthumous trademark innovative, God-centred style about spring. The poem is set in England\u2019s famed lush greenery, but in Hopkins\u2019 Victorian era, industrialisation was already changing what spring looked like for some. <\/p>\n Nature photography captures true beauty like nothing else. But it also has a vital role to play in protecting the planet.<\/p>\n Australian Geopgraphic, in announcing this year\u2019s nature photography of the year awards<\/a>, writes that photography gives the natural world a visibility that defies us not to care. \u2018A camera and a considered eye bring these elements together. In an era when so much has already been photographed and imagery is increasingly drawing on artificial intelligence tools, the ability to capture and present authentic images has never been more critical.\u2019<\/p>\n The 2026 winners are stunning. Just two of the many entries below\u2014a solitary fairy tern flying over the ocean at dusk, and a spiny leaf insect photographed in a suburban backyard\u2014capture the breadth of beauty of the animal kingdom.<\/p>\n The World Nature Photography Awards entrants are equally beautiful. The international competition<\/a> sees itself as a force to bring people together to effect change. \u2018We believe that we can all make small efforts to shape the future of our planet in a positive way and photography can go a long way in influencing people to see the world from a different perspective and change their own habits for the good of the planet,\u2019 the competition organisers write.<\/p>\n The winner of one of the many categories, \u2018Animals in their Habitat,\u2019 is shown below: a brown bear fishing for sockeye salmon in Alaska. This photograph is nearly a relic of a bygone era, reflecting how things used to be\u2014\u2018rivers teeming with life\u2019. It is also a photo of hope, showing us it is not too late to replenish our wonders of creation. <\/p>\n Any of the documentaries featured in this Glossary Magazine article<\/a> are worth your time. <\/p>\n But one standout, in keeping with this year\u2019s theme\u2014and as Australia faces a bird flu crisis and the potential devastation of some species\u2014is \u2018Wings Over Water\u2019. This award-winning film, narrated by actor Michael Keaton, is about the migratory birds who arrive annually in the Great Plains of the USA, and the ecosystem so vital to their future. <\/p>\n Reviews praise \u2018Wings Over Water\u2019 for its extraordinary camera work, and for the amazing facts it imparts about our feathered friends.<\/p>\n Common Grace, a Christian social justice movement that mobilises Australian Christians to advocate for a more just and compassionate society, has a host of resources for Season of Creation<\/a>.<\/p>\n