The Friends of the ACT Trees (FACTT) (formerly Friends of ACT Arboreta - FACTA) is a formally constituted group of individuals with an interest in the trees in Canberra's landscape and environs. It aims to foster sound management, and appreciation, of arboreta in the Canberra region.

The FACTT website is proudly sponsored by

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Upcoming Events

Westbourne Woods Walk

The next regular Westbourne Woods walk will be on Sunday 12 May, departing the gates of the Royal Canberra Golf Club at 9 30am.

The guide will be Frank Grossbechler.

The theme of Frank’s walk will be:   FROM THE NURSERY TO THE STREETS AND PARKS OF CANBERRA

Frank is a retired horticulturist who spent 36 years at Yarralumla Nursery and for the 20 years to 1992 was Manager. His professional life also included 3 years as a Plant Quarantine Inspection Officer and several years as the Supervisor of the Tree Surgery Unit within the old Department of Interior. He is well known within the industry as a professional seed collector.

During the walk Frank will expand on the theme and talk about tree flowering and fruiting, seed production, the various types of tree propagation and the process of getting through the Nursery, early establishment and planting into the field. How the trees in the WW Arboretum fit into the picture will be discussed and he will give examples of where/how species trialled within WW have been incorporated into the Canberra Landscape.

The walk is usually completed by noon, in time for lunch.  

MEET AT THE GATES TO ROYAL CANBERRA GOLF COURSE IN BENTHAM STREET YARRALUMLA JUST BEFORE 9.30 AM

PLEASE WEAR SENSIBLE SHOES/CLOTHES AND BRING A HAT BUT DOGS ARE NOT PERMITTED.  WALKERS ARE WELCOME TO USE THE CLUB'S FACILITIES AFTERWARDS FOR REFRESHMENTS BUT DRESS RULES APPLY.

The full list of the 2024 Westbourne Woods Walks are here

Field trips to view interesting arboreta in the ACT, such as the Bendora Arboretum on Mt Franklin Road, are also conducted periodically and members of the public are welcome to accompany us!

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Renewal of membership of Friends of ACT Trees - FACTT

As we prepare to farewell winter and welcome the spring it is time to invite you to renew your membership with the Friends of ACT Trees (FACTT). FACTT is a formally constituted group of individuals with an interest in the trees in Canberra’s landscape and environs. It aims to foster sound management, and appreciation, of arboreta in the Canberra region. The membership year for FACTT runs from the 1 September to the 31 August each year, with renewal of memberships taking place in the month of September.

To renew your membership with FACTT please visit www.totalpay.com.au/FACTT and complete the online membership form. To finalise your membership please complete your payment by direct transfer to:

Account name: Friends of ACT Trees Incorporated

BSB 062 912

Account Number 10263776

When depositing your membership fee by direct deposit please reference your name, and the word 'Subscription.' Please confirm payment by emailing FACTT@outlook.com.au

You may also pay by cheque to The Treasurer, FACTT, 49 Shakespeare Crescent, Fraser, 2615 (please include name, phone, email or other address and membership type).

Membership fees are:

Corporate member $100

Voting member $25

Voting member paying for 2 years $40

Family members (living at the same address) paying for 2 years $50

Concession (students and pensioners) $10

We are grateful for your continued support and hope the you will continue your membership with FACTT in the coming year. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at FACTT@outlook.com.au

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Vale – Ian Brooker

Sadly we’ve received news of the death of Ian Brooker on Saturday 25 June 2016 after a short period in hospital. Ian was a world authority on the eucalypts, which were the focus of his career between joining CSIRO’s Forest Research Institute in 1970 and his retirement from the Australian National Herbarium in June 1999. His lifetime of research into this large group resulted in an encyclopaedic knowledge, which was made available via a large number of scientific and popular publications. Some of his better-known works include several volumes of a “Field Guide to the Eucalypts” (with David Kleinig) and the various editions of the electronic identification key EUCLID (with co-authors including John Connors, Andrew Slee, and Siobhan Duffy). Ian was awarded as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his “service to botany, particularly through research leading to the identification and classification in the genus Eucalyptus, and as an author”.

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