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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Alex Crowe

A tremendous tribute to the capital's treasured trees

Photographer Graham Gall at a National Arboretum exhibition which has captured images of urban treescapes for Canberra Tree Week. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

From suburban streets to national parks, the region's most magnificent maples, prized pines and glorious gums have been captured in a photography exhibition on show at the Arboretum.

Local photographer Graham Gall has captured some of the ACT's oldest and most spectacular greenery as part of Canberra Tree Week, which runs until May 9.

A visual tribute to the trees that define the capital, the show acts as a map for nature enthusiasts to explore the city's arbor.

A yellow box at Government House, a coast redwood plantation at the Australian National University and torrey pines at Yarralumla Nursery are among those on show.

Mr Gall said his journey to recognise the humble tree felt particularly pertinent.

"How does it feel actually out there doing this?" Mr Gall asked. "When I was standing in Pierces Forest with the sun rising over the horizon and hitting these grass trees and I'm looking around at this fantastic landscape, I couldn't help but think about what's happening in the world right now.

"I couldn't help but think about India, Brazil and the US and think about how trees actually create oxygen. And then the President of the US started to talk about climate change and how we need more action.

"That's what happened to me while I was going around shooting these trees."

Photographer Graham Gall with his pieces on show at the National Arboretum. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

While not the photographer's favourite, an Acer rubrum or red maple known as October Glory bares special mention given Mr Gall's now adult son planted it as a teenager.

Donovan Gall was a horticulture apprentice when he planted the now sprawling maple outside Parliament House.

"Talk about serendipity," the senior Gall said.

Top tree on show according to the artist is the Sequoia sempervirens, or the coast redwoods, at the rear of the ANU forestry building.

Their bark, height and detail awarding them prized position by the artist.

Top-shot award belongs to a Eucalyptus blakelyi, a red gum on the corner of Kinloch Court and Lycos Street in Bruce, Mr Gall said.

"It's on a block completely on its own and it's a huge habitat for birds," he said.

"And I had beautiful light that morning so just the way the light is hitting it means you can see detail of the bark and detail of the foliage."

Driving up through parts of Namadgi National Park most impacted by bushfires was an emotional experience, Mr Gall said.

"It was a mixture of both sadness and excitement at how everything is coming back again," he said.

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Samantha Ning is part of the Canberra Tree Network, a group made up of representatives from all of the ACT's biggest tree stakeholders, including the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the National Capital Authority, ACT government, the Arboretum, ANU and Government House.

She said one of the biggest challenges the tree managers meet to discuss is how to balance a growing city with the needs of its trees.

"They offer so many benefits to our community," she said. "They clean the air, they keep us cool in summer, they provide foraging opportunities for bees and insects which are so important to our ecosystem and they make our city look beautiful - particularly this time of year."

Book Tree Week events at cityservices.act.gov.au

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