Friends' Christmas raffle winners announced.

Take yourself for a shady walk this summer along one of our Forest Trails. Go in your own time - early or late in the day. The map of the Self-Guided Forest Trails appears below.

There is so much happening at the Arboretum this summer - you'll never be lost for something to do - whether it's with kids, grandkids, friends, interstate or international visitors! During summer (December - February) there will be 1-hour Forest Walks departing from the Village Centre at 10.00am on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays (bring appropriate clothing, water, etc). There's also Self-Guided Forest Trails. What about Kite-Making? And a Bee-Friendly Gardens Workshop on 24 January.

Currently committed: $6,690 (@11Dec). Friends' Council wants to turn the group’s sights towards sponsorship of a Zigzag Garden in the Central Valley. Friends have chosen to sponsor Garden #19, the Saltbush Garden, along the Zigzag walkway of the Central Valley. It will make a stunning foreground vista looking towards the Village Centre and from it. Our aim is to raise $50,000 – the cost of this Garden. Launched at the 13 November Friends’ General Meeting, this major fund-raiser needs your help to make it a reality!

There is plenty of colour over at the Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park (STEP), obviously helped by the late spring rains we have received. Take a look here and then go and visit!

O come all ye faithful Friends - to our End-of-Year party on Tuesday 11 December - 5.30pm till all is done ... and this includes the presentation of the Jake Keller horticultural Scholarship and the Friends' Raffle Draw. Come and hear too how our Big Fundraiser is going for the Zigzag Garden. Heaps of fun!

If you have been to the Arboretum in the last couple of weeks you will see that it is waking up. The cherry trees and the Callery Pears are just spectacular and the Discovery Garden is also a treat. Ange McNeilly who manages the garden has got it just beautiful at the moment. As we move towards summer we are looking for volunteers who might help Ange in the garden and/or would like to harvest figs or make jams and/or other preserves. Some of our jobs can be weekly but many are just before a Market Stall or if we have a glut of fruit or vegetables. It’s loads of fun!

The Friends of ACT Trees Inc. (FACTT) has recently released a new publication entitled "Woods Wiki – stories of trees in Australia and related topics". This is an intriguing little collection by the distinguished former Head of CSIRO Forestry and published by FACTT. It is a collection of pieces about trees and ideas - largely from and by Canberra people. A great birthday or Christmas gift idea!

In the nick of time for Floriade, the Friends' Arboretum calendar for 2019 is now available for purchase from the Curatoreum or online.

There are currently five (5) Arboretum walking trails. Have you done them all? It's time to gather up your friends and take them on one of these short walks. Afterwards - coffee at the Village Centre - of course!