Hi, I’m Zoe Poulsen, a Cape Town-based botanist, writer and conservation communicator.

I have a PhD in botany, with a particular interest in the extraordinary plants and threatened ecosystems of South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region. My work sits at the meeting point between science and storytelling. I help conservation organisations, researchers and other specialists turn complex ideas into writing that people can understand, enjoy and care about.

On Medium, I write about fynbos, gardening, wildlife, ecological restoration, climate change and the complicated relationship between people and the natural world. You will also find practical growing guides, stories from Cape Town and occasional reflections on freelancing, creative work and the slow process of building a sustainable writing career.

I believe that good environmental writing should do more than provide information. It should help readers notice what is around them, understand why it matters and feel inspired to protect it.

When I’m not writing or editing, I can usually be found growing plants, exploring the Cape landscape or getting involved in hands-on conservation work.