--- title: About the Friends description: We're a non-profit community organisation dedicated to supporting the Arboretum and its ongoing development - become a Friend today! --- [Skip to content](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/aboutthefriends#main-content) ![](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.jpg?width=365&height=126&name=logo.jpg)Homepage - [Home](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au?hsLang=en-au) - [About](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/about?hsLang=en-au) - [About the Friends](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/aboutthefriends) - [Contact Us](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/contact?hsLang=en-au) - [Support Us](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/support-us?hsLang=en-au) - [Shop](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/shop?hsLang=en-au) - [Warm Trees](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/warm-trees?hsLang=en-au) - [News](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/news2?hsLang=en-au) [Join/Renew](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/membership?hsLang=en-au) - [Home](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au?hsLang=en-au) - [About](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/about?hsLang=en-au) - [About the Friends](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/aboutthefriends) - [Contact Us](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/contact?hsLang=en-au) - [Support Us](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/support-us?hsLang=en-au) - [Shop](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/shop?hsLang=en-au) - [Warm Trees](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/warm-trees?hsLang=en-au) - [News](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/news2?hsLang=en-au) [Join/Renew](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/membership?hsLang=en-au) ##### About the Friends   The Friends of the National Arboretum Canberra (Inc) is a non‐profit organisation that was established in 2008 to support the development of the Arboretum. The Friends Council has an Executive and a number of Committee members with representation, as best as possible, from the various Arboretum volunteer groups. The Council coordinates all the of the activities involved in running the not-for-profit incorporated organisation, including the administration of the Arboretum Trust Fund, which was created to channel tax deductible donations into projects that specifically benefit the Arboretum. The Council meets on a monthly basis to report on income and expenditure, membership, ongoing and proposed projects, and to discuss matters that may arise from time to time in relation to the coordination of Friends and Arboretum planning. The Council also holds an Annual General Meeting and a number of General meetings where members can learn first-hand about Friend's activities and the Arboretum.   | **Chair** | Mike Woolley | | --- | --- | | **Deputy Chair** | Fran Hinton | | **Secretary** | Vacant | | **Treasurer** | Lyn Rees | | **Publications Officer** | Nicole Pietrucha | | **STEP Representative** |  Walter Kelmann  | | ** Bonsai & Penjing Representative ** |  Sandra Corrigan  | | **Members** | Alison Purvis | | |  Carolyn Thomas | | |  Barry Langshaw  | | | Marelle Rawson | |   |  Mark Lodder  | |   |  Judith Smith  | | ** Sponsorship Manager: ** |  Trish Keller OAM (Not a Council member)  |   ### How the Friends Support the Arboretum The Friends, through membership fees, donations, and fund raising activities such as the Wollemi Pine Propagation project, the publication of The Arboretum Book and calendars, have sponsored the following projects:  ![Friends Forest Shelter opening 1](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Friends%20Forest%20Shelter%20opening%201.jpg?width=4849&height=3233&name=Friends%20Forest%20Shelter%20opening%201.jpg) ### The first Forest Shelter on the Arboretum site (March 2022) ![Friends Documentary](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Instagram-1.jpg?width=2250&height=2250&name=Instagram-1.jpg) ### National Arboretum Canberra – A twenty-year story; A 30-minute documentary describing the first 20 years of the Arboretum (2023) [View documentary](https://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/top-stories/national-arboretum-canberra-a-twenty-year-story) ![Friends DFH Garden](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Friends%20DFH%20Garden.jpg?width=1638&height=1092&name=Friends%20DFH%20Garden.jpg) ### The Friends Garden atop Dairy Farmers Hill (2018) ![Friends Zig Zag](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Friends%20Zig%20Zag.jpg?width=2000&height=1125&name=Friends%20Zig%20Zag.jpg) ###### Zigzag Garden No 19, the Saltbush Garden (2018) ![Friends Trailer](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Friends%20Trailer.jpg?width=1474&height=853&name=Friends%20Trailer.jpg) ### The Working Bee equipment trailer (2020) ![PoD Picnic Setting](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/PoD%20Picnic%20Setting.jpg?width=1000&height=721&name=PoD%20Picnic%20Setting.jpg) ### Friends Picnic Setting near the Pod Playground (December 2024) ![IMG_7582](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_7582.jpg?width=2000&height=1642&name=IMG_7582.jpg) ###### Wollemi Pine Propagation project to propagate, grow and sell Wollemi pine trees from seed collected at the Arboretum (2020) [Find out More](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/wollemiproject?hsLang=en-au) ![Friends Education Trailer-1](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Friends%20Education%20Trailer-1.jpg?width=1146&height=751&name=Friends%20Education%20Trailer-1.jpg) ### Education Trailer to support Nature Play and other initiatives (2026) **Many Friends volunteer at the Arboretum and are involved in:** - Guiding – Welcome walks, Forest walks, the bonsai collection and bus tours - Working bees - in the Forests and the gardens, including the Kitchen Garden and Forest 20, the Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park (STEP) - Citizen science projects - Knitting for the Warm Trees event held each winter in and around the Village Centre and the surrounding forests and, - Helping the Harvest Group collect, produce items and run the Market Stalls held throughout the year in the Village Centre  - ![2024-02-28 - fig Stall](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/2024-02-28%20-%20fig%20Stall.jpg?width=1569&height=1527&name=2024-02-28%20-%20fig%20Stall.jpg) - ![Working Bee](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Working%20Bee.jpg?width=309&height=176&name=Working%20Bee.jpg) - ![Guides tour-2](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Guides%20tour-2.jpg?width=1009&height=525&name=Guides%20tour-2.jpg) - ![wollemi seeds](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/wollemi%20seeds.jpeg?width=1200&height=800&name=wollemi%20seeds.jpeg) - ![Kitchen garden 1](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Kitchen%20garden%201.jpg?width=1500&height=1239&name=Kitchen%20garden%201.jpg) - ![Ammobium alatum - Winged Everlasting -STEP](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Ammobium%20alatum%20-%20Winged%20Everlasting%20-STEP.jpg?width=1500&height=1500&name=Ammobium%20alatum%20-%20Winged%20Everlasting%20-STEP.jpg) - ![warm trees 3](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/warm%20trees%203.jpg?width=1500&height=1500&name=warm%20trees%203.jpg) - ![Autumn in the Collection](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Autumn%20in%20the%20Collection.jpg?width=750&height=750&name=Autumn%20in%20the%20Collection.jpg) - [Home](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au?hsLang=en-au) - [About](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/about?hsLang=en-au) - [Contact Us](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/contact?hsLang=en-au) - [Support Us](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/support-us?hsLang=en-au) - [Shop](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/shop?hsLang=en-au) - [Warm Trees](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/warm-trees?hsLang=en-au) - [News](https://friendsarboretumcanberra.org.au/news2?hsLang=en-au) --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026 Friends of the National Arboretum Canberra Inc.. 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