The National Arboretum Canberra is ensuring their trees stay warm and cosy this July while celebrating our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This year’s installation of Warm Trees features knitted scarves in the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, which aligns perfectly with this year’s NAIDOC Week celebrations.

The installation was launched officially today, Wednesday 6 July, by ACT Multicultural Affairs Minister Chris Steel.

“It’s a great privilege to launch this year’s Warm Trees event on NAIDOC Week and I encourage all Canberrans to take a walk through the beautiful display of culture, trees and art,” Mr Steel said.

Warm Trees bring the Arboretum’s forests to life each year, adorning the trees in the Himalayan cedar forest with bright and colourful scarves knitted and crotched by talented volunteers across the ACT. Not only will the scarves keep our beautiful trees warm, once the installation is done, they will be washed and altered into rugs before being donated to charity.

The scarf wearing trees aren’t the only way the Arboretum is celebrating our First Nations people; this year the installation also continues inside the Village Centre. Here, you will be greeted by a display of endangered Bogong Moths at the suggestion of the Ngunnawal United Elders Council, while the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF) has also unveiled a special exhibition. The IMF was set up by Rob de Castella to ensure Indigenous people can be represented in marathons around the world while also improving their health and fitness.

“The colour, warmth and beautiful Indigenous themed knitted scarves also make this year’s NAIDOC theme of ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’ particularly special, as we all need to do what we can,” Mr de Castella said.

Find out more about the Arboretum’s NAIDOC Week activities and Warm Trees at nationalarboretum.act.gov.au

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