A poetic exploration of the surprising richness of the desert’s plant life is the latest publication about the natural world by Diana Woodcock, associate professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar).

The new book, titled Reverent Flora: The Arabian Desert’s Botanical Bounty, features a collection of poetry that catalogues the Arabian Desert’s critically endangered and disappearing flora while promoting responsible caretaking of the earth. Combining scientific analysis with poetic flair, the book details the traces of religion, literature, and culture in the region’s climate and geography, and explores the 22 most mentioned plants in the Quran.

“Living for two decades at the edge of the Arabian Desert, I became interested in local and global conservation issues, as well as in the environmental ethic of the Qur’an,” Woodcock said, commenting on the inspiration behind the work, which is also driven by broader concerns about the future of other regions struggling under different natural and climatic conditions.

“Reverent Flora inspires a greater appreciation of and commitment to protecting not only the unique environment of the Arabian Peninsula, but also other equally endangered ecosystems around the world.”

Woodcock, who teaches English courses as part of the Liberal Arts & Sciences programme at VCUarts Qatar, has carved a unique and influential career over the years exploring the intersections between ecology, humanity, and spirituality. Her PhD degree in Creative Writing, which she received from Lancaster University, initiated this journey with an investigation of the role of poetry in the search for an environmental ethic.